AP® Biology Flashcards Responses to the Environment

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[q] Population

[a] a localized group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed, producing fertile offspring

[q] Community

[a] all the organisms that inhabit a particular area; as assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction

[q] Ecosystem

[a] all the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact

[q] Biotic

[a] pertaining to the living organisms in the environment

[q] Abiotic

[a] nonliving; referring to physical and chemical properties of an environment

[q] Biosphere

[a] the entire portion of earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems

[q] Niche

[a] the sum of a species’ use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

[q] Clumped Distribution

[a] individual aggregated patches, some organisms group together where food is abundant

[q] Uniform Distribution

[a] evenly spaced, some organisms maintain evenly distributed spacing to avoid aggressive interactions between neighbors

[q] Random Distribution

[a] unpredictable spacing, some plants grow in random groups if their seeds were windblown across an area

[q] Population Ecology

[a] the study of populations in relation to their environment, including environmental influences on populations, on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size

[q] Sex Ratio

[a] ratio of females to males within a population

[q] Age Structure

[a] the relative number of individuals of each age in a population

[q] Immigration Rate

[a] the rate of influx of new individuals INTO a population from other areas

[q] Emigration Rate

[a] the rate of movement of individuals OUT of a population

[q] Carrying Capacity

[a] the maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources, (symbolized by K)

[q] Density Dependent

[a] any characteristic that varies according to an increase in population density

[q] Exponential Growth

[a] growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, (represented by a J-Shaped curve when population size is plotted over time)

[q] Logistical Growth

[a] population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity

[q] Survivorship Curve

[a] the plot of the proportion or numbers in a cohort still alive at each age

[q] Type I Surivorship Curve

[a] low death rates during early/middle life then increase among older age groups (humans)

[q] Type II Surviorship Curve

[a] constant death rate over the organism’s life span

[q] Type III Surviorship Curve

[a] very high death rates for the young and then declines for those few individuals that survive the early period (insects)

[q] Symbiosis

[a] an ecological relationship between organisms of two different species that live together in direct and intimate contact

[q] Commensalism

[a] a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is neither helped nor harmed

[q] Mutualism

[a] a symbiotic relationship in which both participants benefit

[q] Parasitism

[a] a symbiotic relationship in which one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another (the host) by living either within or on its host

[q] Intraspecific Competition

[a] interactions between the same species competing for resources

[q] Interspecific Competition

[a] competition for resources between individuals of two or more species when resources are in short supply

[q] Predation

[a] an interaction between species in which one species (the predator) eats the other (the prey)

[q] Aposematic Coloration

[a] the bright coloration of animals with effective physical or chemical defenses that acts as a warning to predators. Ex: stripe on skunk

[q] Cryptic Coloration

[a] camouflage that makes a potential prey difficult to spot against its background

[q] Pioneer Species

[a] the first species to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem

[q] Climax Community

[a] in a community of organisms in a specific area there is one state of equilibrium controlled solely by climate

[q] Succession

[a] the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time

[q] Primary Succession

[a] a type of ecological succession that occurs in an area where there were originally no organisms present and where soil has not yet formed

[q] Secondary Succession

[a] a type of succession that occurs where an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the soil or substance intact

[q] Photoautotrophs

[a] an organism that harnesses light energy to drive the synthesis of organic compounds from Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

[q] Chemoautotrophs

[a] an organism that needs only CO2 as a carbon source but obtains energy by oxidizing inorganic substances

[q] Herbivore

[a] an animal that eats mainly plants or algae

[q] Carnivore

[a] an animal that mainly eats other animals

[q] Detritivore

[a] a consumer that derives its energy and nutrients from nonliving organic material such as corpses, fallen plant material, and the wastes of living organism (a decomposer)

[q] Food Chain

[a] the pathway along which food energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level, beginning with producers

[q] Food Web

[a] the interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem

[q] the interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem

[a] the positions organisms occupy in a food chain

[q] Secondary Consumer

[a] a carnivore that eats herbivores

[q] Primary Consumer

[a] a herbivore; an organism that eats plants or other autotrophs

[q] Carbon Cycle

[a] forming the framework of organic molecules, photosynthesis & cellular respiration circulate this nutrient

[q] Nitrogen Cycle

[a] this nutrient is converted to compounds that can be assimilated by plants then returned in gas form to the atmosphere; all processes rely on bacteria

[q] Nitrogen Fixation

[a] the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia

[q] Water Cycle

[a] this nutrient cycle involves evaporation from the earth & transpiration from plants and falls then by precipitation back down to the earth to begin the cycle again

[q] Age Structure Diagrams

[a] a visual representation of the relative number of individuals of each age in a population

[q] Keystone Species

[a] a species that is not necessarily abundant in a community yet experts strong control on community structure by the nature of its ecological role or niche

[q] Biological Magnification

[a] a process in which retained substances become more concentrated at each high trophic level in a food chain

[q] Decomposers

[a] organisms that absorb nutrients from nonliving organic material such as corpses, fallen plant material, the wastes of living organisms and converts them into inorganic forms; a detritivore

[q] Invasive Species

[a] a species often introduced by humans, that takes hold outside its native range

[q] Altruism

[a] behavior that increases fitness of another individual but decreases their own fitness

[q] Kin selection (inclusive fitness)

[a] enhancing the reproductive success of one’s relatives

[q] Classical conditioning

[a] association between neutral stimulus and natural response (ex: dogs salivating to sound of bell ringing)

[q] Operant conditioning

[a] trial and error learning; making associations between behavior and a reward or punishment

[q] Communication

[a] tactile, visual, auditory and chemical means of relaying messages to other members of ones species

[q] Fixed Action Pattern

[a] a sequence of unlearned actions that are unchangable and often carried to completion

[q] Density dependent factor

[a] factor that affects population based on size (disease, predation etc)

[q] Density independent factor

[a] factor that affect population regardless of size (weather, humans etc)

[q] Species diversity

[a] variety of organisms in a community

[q] Species richness

[a] the number of different species in a community

[q] invasive species

[a] species that enter new ecosystems and multiply, harming native species and their habitats

[q] ecology

[a]  study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with other organisms and with their physical environment

[q] population

[a]  group of individuals of the same species living in the same area

[q] community

[a]  group of populations of different species living in the same area

[q] ecosystem

[a] interrelationships between organisms in a community and their physical environment

[q] biosphere

[a]  composed of all the regions of the earth that contain living things (hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere)

[q] habitat

[a]  type of place where an organism usually lives; descriptions typically include the organisms and the physical and chemical characteristics of the environment

[q] niche

[a]  all biotic and abiotic resources in the environment used by an organism

[q] biotic factor

[a]  A living part of an ecosystem

[q] abiotic factor

[a]  physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem

[q] climate

[a]  long-term prevailing weather conditions in a given area; major components include temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind

[q] biome

[a]  large region of the earth whose distribution depends on the amount of precipitation and temperature in an area; characterized by dominant vegetation and animal life

[q] population growth is described by…

[a]  biotic potential, carrying capacity, and limiting factors

[q] population size

[a]  symbolically represented by N
it is the total number of individuals in the population

[q] population density

[a]  total number of individuals per area or volume occupied

[q] population dispersion

[a]  describes how individuals in a population are distributed

[q] clumped dispersion

[a]  most common pattern, like humans in cities or schools of fish

[q] uniform dispersion

[a]  like trees in an orchard, or plants with toxins

[q] random dispersion

[a]  like trees in a forest; occurs because of special attractions or repulsions

[q] age structure

describes the abundance of individuals of each age

[a] 

[q] survivorship curves

describe how mortality of individuals in a species varies during their lifetimes

[a]  

[q] type I survivorship curve (K- strategist)

describe a species in which most individuals survive to middle age; after that age, mortality is high.

example: humans

[a] 

[q] type II survivorship curve (c- strategist)

[a] 

[q] type III survivorship curve (r-strategist)

[a] 

[q] biotic potential

[a]  maximum growth rate of a population under ideal conditions with unlimited resources and without any growth restrictions

[q] carrying capacity

[a]  maximum number of individuals of a population that can be sustained by a particular habitat

[q] limiting factors

[a]  elements that prevent a population from attaining its biotic potential; can be density-dependent or density-independent

[q] density-dependent factors

[a]  limiting effect becomes more intense as the population density increases
examples: parasites and disease, competition, toxic effect of waste products, predation, stress

[q] density-independent factors

[a]  occur independently of the density of a population
examples: natural disasters and climate extremes

[q] r-strategist
(or r-selected species)

[a]  rapid, exponential growth
quickly invade a habitat, quickly reproduce, then die
offspring are small, quickly maturing, and require little to no parental care

[q] k-strategist
(or k-selected species)

[a]  slower, logistic growth
size of mature population remains relatively constant
small number of large offspring
extensive parental care
reproduction repeats throughout lifetime

[q] exponential growth

[a]  occurs when reproductive rate is greater than zero; forms a J-shaped curve on a graph.

[q] logistic growth

[a]  occurs when limiting factors restrict the size of a population to the carrying capacity of the habitat; forms an S-shaped curve on a graph

[q] reproductive success

[a]  measure of fitness – how well an organism survives and reproduces

[q] interspecific competition

[a] 

• competition between two different species via…
• competitive exclusion principle (Gause’s principle)
• resource partitioning
• realized niche
• character displacement (niche shift)

[q] Competitive Exclusion (Gause’s principle)

[a]  when two species compete for exactly the same resources, or occupy the same niche, one is likely to be more successful

[q] resource partitioning

[a]  some species coexist in spite of apparent competition for the same resources. they actually occupy slightly different niches.

[q] predation

[a]  predator totally or partly consumes a plant or other animal

[q] parasite

[a]  spends most or all of its live living on or in a host; obtains nourishment by feeding on host tissues

[q] herbivore

[a]  animal that eats plants; some act like predators and totally consume the organism whereas others may only eat a part of the plant

[q] symbiosis

[a]  two species that live together in close contact during a portion or all of their lives

[q] mutualism

[a]  symbiotic relationship where both species benefit

[q] commensalism

[a]  symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the second is neither helped nor harmed

[q] parasitism

[a]  symbiotic relationship where parasite benefits while the host is harmed

[q] coevolution

[a]  evolution of one species in response to new adaptations that appear in another species – evolutionary arms race

[q] mimicry

[a]  two or more species resemble one another in appearance

[q] ecological succession

[a]  change in the composition of species over time; one community is gradually and predictably replaced by another community

[q] primary succession

[a]  occurs where no soil was previously present; begins on rock. pioneer species and other plants break down rock into pebbles, then sand, then soil. as organisms die and decompose, it nourishes the soil allowing for more and larger organisms to grow or live in that area

[q] secondary succession

[a]  occurs as primary succession, except soil is already present

[q] food chain

[a]  linear flow chart of who eats whom
example: grass >>> zebra >>> lion >>> vulture

[q] food web

[a]  expanded, more complete version of a food chain that shows all major plants in the ecosystem, various animals that eat them, and the animals that eat the animals

[q] autotrophs

[a]  obtain energy from light or inorganic material

[q] heterotrophs

[a]  consumer other organisms for organic material and/or a source of energy

[q] ecological pyramids

[a]  show relationships between trophic levels, typically showing relationships in energy or biomass

[q] trophic level

[a]  an organism’s place in a food chain or food web

[q] primary producers

[a]  autotrophs that perform photosynthesis

[q] primary consumers

[a]  herbivores, heterotrophs that eat primary producers

[q] secondary consumers

[a]  carnivores/omnivores, heterotrophs that eat primary consumers

[q] tertiary consumers

[a]  carnivores/omnivores, heterotrophs that eat secondary consumers

[q] quaternary consumers

[a]  carnivores/omnivores, heterotrophs that eat tertiary consumers

[q] detritivores (decomposers)

[a]  heterotrophs that obtain their energy by consuming dead plants and animals (detritus)

[q] why will you typically not see more than five levels in a food chain, pyramid, or web?

[a]  only 10% of the energy at one trophic level is available for the next trophic level. 90% of the energy is used, stored, or lost. there’s not enough energy in any ecosystem to support more than 5 levels. this is called ecological efficiency.

[q] primary productivity

[a]  amount of organic matter produced through photosynthetic activity per unit of time

[q] dominant species

[a]  most abundant species or species that contributes the greatest biomass to a community

[q] keystone species

[a]  one that has a strong influence on the health of a community or ecosystem; removal of a keystone species results in dramatic changes in the makeup of species that comprise other trophic levels

[q] invasive species

[a]  introduced species that proliferates and displaces native species because it is a better competitor or because its natural predators or pathogens are absent

[q] biodiversity

[a]  function of the number of species, niches, and trophic levels in the ecosystem and the complexity of its food web

[q] biogeochemical cycles

[a]  describe the flow of essential elements from the environment to living things and back; elements are stored in reservoirs and assimilated into organisms as well as released back into the environment (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus)

[q] humans damage the biosphere by…

[a] 

• exponential population growth
• habitat destruction
• pollution

[q] most destructive consequences of human activity include…

[a]  global climate change, deforestation, acid rain, reduction in species diversity, ozone depletion, desertification, and pollution

[q] global climate change

[a]  Burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation, raising the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and resulting in large scale climate change.

[q] acid rain

[a]  burning of fossil fuels like coal and other industrial processes release pollutants in the air, which react with water vapor to produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which rains down on us

[q] desertification

[a]  overgrazing of grasslands that border deserts transform those grasslands into deserts; agricultural output decreases and habitats available to native species are lost

[q] deforestation

[a]  clear-cutting of forests causes erosion, flooding, and changes in weather patterns; occurs most often in the tropical rainforest, where most of our carbon fixation occurs

[q] nitrogen cycle

[a]  The movement of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere; including the processes of nitrogen fixation and decomposition.

[q] nitrogen fixation

[a]  the chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated into organic compounds (that plants can use), especially by certain microorganisms as part of the nitrogen cycle.

[q] carbon cycle

[a]  the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back

[q] 10% rule

[a]  Only 10% of the total energy at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

[q] Simpson’s Diversity Index

[a]  a measure of diversity between similar ecosystems
( N-(N-1) ) / ( total n (n-1) )
N = total number of organisms
n = number of individuals of each species

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