Download Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Terms and Definitions and more Quizzes Biology in PDF only on Docsity!
core reserves
- natural areas protect from high human use - encompass enough space to preserve ecosystems - minimum critical area required TERM 2
What are the 2 major reasons behind the
decline of biodiversity?
DEFINITION 2
- increasingly large portion of Earth's resources goes to human use 2. direct impact of human activities TERM 3
5 ways human activities threaten biodiversity
DEFINITION 3
- Habitat destruction 2. overexploitation 3. pollution 4. global warming 5. introduction of invasive species TERM 4
direct vs indirect ecosystem services
DEFINITION 4 direct: - food, plants, and animals - building materials - fiber and fabric material - fuel - medicine plants - oxygen replenishment indirect: - maintain soil fertility - pollination - seed dispersal - waste decomposition - local climate regulation - flood, erosion, pollution, and pest control - wildlife habitat - repository of genes TERM 5
4 fundamental resources of life
DEFINITION 5
- nutrients to construct living tissues 2. energy for metabolic activities 3. liquid water as medium for metabolic activities 4. appropriate temperatures
modification of climate because of currents,
continents, and mountains
- ocean currents are interrupted by continents forming gyres that moderate temperature extremes - mountains modify rainfall TERM 7
Earth's aspects influence on climate
DEFINITION 7
- temperature is higher/more uniform at equator and lower/more variable at poles - equatorial sunlight is perpendicular and hits year round; polar sunlight is season and angle spreads over large surface area - tilt on axis causes seasonal variations in range and directness of sunlight - warm air rises; cold, dense air sinks - the warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold TERM 8
modifications of solar energy
DEFINITION 8
- absorbed in ozone layer - reflected by dust, water vapor, and clouds - absorbed by greenhouse gases - influenced by latitudes TERM 9
2 dangerous properties of man-made
substances that are likely to undergo
biological magnification
DEFINITION 9
- not biodegradable (DDT, insecticides) 2. stored in body, particularly in fat, and accumulates over the years TERM 10
basic causes of global warming change
DEFINITION 10
- prehistoric life, fossils - deforestation: destroys trees - human activities - greenhouse gases
invasive species
- species introduced into ecosystems they didn't evolve in; harmful to human health, environment, or economy - displace, outcompete, and prey on native species - biocontrols used to limit invasive species TERM 17
keystone species
DEFINITION 17
- plays major role in community structure; role is out of proportion to abundance ex: starfish, lobster, elephants TERM 18
parasitism vs predation
DEFINITION 18 parasitism: harms host; doesn't necessarily kill host; consumers part of host's blood or tissue predation: harms one organism; kills for food TERM 19
prey defenses
DEFINITION 19 animal defenses: -object resemblance (camouflage), mimicry (warning coloration, startle coloration) plant defenses: - mechanical: thorns, spines, hairs -chemical: thousands of chemicals deposited into different aspects of plant making poison or bad taste -structural: tough plant tissue TERM 20
4 most important community interactions
DEFINITION 20 -competition -predation -mutualism -parasitism
developed vs developing
countries
developed: evenly distributed population; stabilized developing: high birth rates with decreased death rates and increased life span TERM 22
age structure diagrams
DEFINITION 22
- diagrams that show age groups (x-axis) and number/percentage of individuals (y-axix) - expanding, stable, shrinking TERM 23
factors of environmental
resistance
DEFINITION 23 density independent: -natural disasters, weather, human activity density dependent: -parasitism & predation, intraspecific competition (limited resources) TERM 24
exponential vs logistic growth
DEFINITION 24 exponential: G = rN; J-curve; use r to estimate population growth in given time; occurs when individuals invade new habitat logistic: G = rN[(K-N)/K]; S-shaped; K is carrying capacity consequences of exceeding [K]: - damaged environment, population dies out TERM 25
biotic potential vs environmental
resistance
DEFINITION 25 biotic: max rate of increase factors that affect biotic potential: age at first reproduction, frequency of reproduction, avg # of offspring each time, length of production cycle, death rate resistance: limit set by biotic/abiotic environment
What makes a prokaryotic organism
pathogenic?
-synthesizes toxic substances that cause disease symptoms TERM 32
Where can prokaryotes survive?
DEFINITION 32 -hot, color, or mineral tolerant -near boiling environments - hot springs, arctic sea ice, geysers, acidic environments TERM 33
chemosynthesis
DEFINITION 33 energy harvesting process in hydrothermal vent communities TERM 34
bioluminescence
DEFINITION 34 important adaptation in deep ocean communities and is used to see, attract prey or attract males TERM 35
algae
DEFINITION 35 free-swimming, floating organisms in ocean
skeletons of corals, which forms coral reefs,
are composed of _____
calcium carbonate TERM 37
most abundant life in oceans in found in _____
and _____ zones
DEFINITION 37 intertidal and nearshore zones TERM 38
nearshore zone
DEFINITION 38 zone where large salt tolerant plants or seaweed grow anchored to bottom TERM 39
phoetic zone nutrients are replenished by
______ and ______
DEFINITION 39 runoff from land and upwelling from ocean TERM 40
importance of phytoplankton
DEFINITION 40
- recharge atmosphere with oxygen - absorb CO2 - produce glucose
characteristics of ecosystems
- Energy sources 2. energy flow structure 3. feeding chains or complex food webs w/ different organisms in energy flow
- keystone species 5. feeding levels/trophic levels 6. nested: small inside large 7. defined ecosystems 8. no waste - ecosystems recycle 9. habitats and niches TERM 47
ecology
DEFINITION 47 study of interaction among organisms and their home TERM 48
ecosystem
DEFINITION 48 all organisms and their non-living environment within a defined area TERM 49
biosphere
DEFINITION 49
- global sum of all ecosystems - combination of all geological, physical, and biological planetary processes which work together TERM 50
structure of viruses
DEFINITION 50
- non-living - require a host cell to reproduce - contains RNA and DNA surrounded by a protein coat - parasites of living cells - specialized for specific host cell - consist of nucleic acid and protein
plasmid
small, circular piece of DNA located in cytoplasm of many bacteria; normally doesn't carry genes required for normal functioning of bacterium but many carry genes that assist bacterial survival TERM 52
prion structure
DEFINITION 52
- only infectious proteins; no nucleic acid - consists of single protein produced by normal nerve cells that become folded - can induce clean cells to transform into infectious ones - inherited or transmitted TERM 53
structure of viroid
DEFINITION 53
- infectious particles - lack protein; consists of short, circular strands of RNA - enters host cell nucleus and directs synthesis of new viroids TERM 54
What is conjugation?
DEFINITION 54 DNA transferred from donor to recipient by temporary fusion of cell membranes forming cytoplasmic bridge TERM 55
bacteria structure
DEFINITION 55
- reproduce through binary fission - 3 basic shapes: rod, corkscrew, sphere - can produce resistant spores, endospores - antibiotic resistance
ponds
small lakes with ample light, nutrients, and places for attachment TERM 62
general features of aquatic
ecosystems
DEFINITION 62
- moderate temperatures - reduced light for photosynthesis - nutrients concentrated near bottom sediments TERM 63
replication of viruses
DEFINITION 63
- penetration: host cell; releases viral material 2. replication: viral material copied 3. transcription: mRNA 4. protein synthesis: viral mRNA used to synthesize viral proteins 5. viral assembly: viral genetic material surrounded by protein coat 6. release: virus emerges TERM 64
potential virus hosts
DEFINITION 64 -bacteria -respiratory tract -mucous membrane of mouth - White blood cells -genitals -nervous system TERM 65
structure of archaea
DEFINITION 65 -thinner flagellum -3 kingdoms -heat, cold and mineral tolerant
