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[h] IB DP Biology HL B4.2 Ecological niches Flashcards
[q] Ecological Niche
[a] The role of the species in an ecosystem
– Includes what it eats, when it is active, its habitat
– Includes ALL biotic & abiotic factors
[q] Fundamental Niche
[a] Potential niche of a species based on adaptations & tolerance limits
[q] Realized Niche
[a] The actual niche of a species when in competition with other species
[q] Example of Chthalamus vs. Semibalanus
[a] 1. The presence of Semibalanus affects the Chthalamus population
2. The presence of Chthalamus does NOT affect the Semibalanus population
[q] Competitive Exclusion
[a] One species will always go extinct if two species’ niches are the same
[q] Niche Partitioning
[a] There are a diversity of species on Earth, so each species occupy a slightly different niche;
these small differences allow for coexistence
[q] Obligate Aerobe
[a] Need/have to be in an area with atmospheric levels of oxygen
[q] Obligate Anaerobes
[a] Have to be in an environment in an area with lower than atmospheric levels of oxygen
[q] Facultative Anaerobes
[a] Can live in either areas with oxygen or without
[q] Autotroph(s)
[a] Produce carbon compounds from inorganic compounds using light or inorganic chemical energy;
uses external energy source
– Some prokaryotes
– Algae: Huge group of organisms ranging from seaweed to single-celled algae (not a true clade)
– Plants
– Some archaeans
[q] Photoautotroph
[a] A type of autotroph that uses light to create organic compounds
[q] Chemoautotroph
[a] A type of autotroph that uses inorganic chemical energy to make carbon compounds (organic energy)
[q] Photosynthesis
[a] Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy
– Used by not just plants, but also photosynthetic organisms
[q] Chemosynthesis
[a] Process by which ATP is synthesized by using chemicals as an energy source instead of light
– Used by things such as iron-oxidizing bacteria
[q] Light Energy
[a] Energy in the form of moving waves of light
[q] Chemical Energy
[a] Energy stored in chemical bonds
[q] Holozoic Nutrition
[a] A type of heterotrophic nutrition that involves the intake of complex organic matter, either as solids or liquids
– Food is ingested, digested internally, absorbed & assimilated (stored)
– Consumers
[q] Mixotrophs
[a] Can be both autotrophs & heterotrophs
– Some choose to do both; some have to do both
– Often protists (singled-celled eukaryotes)
– Euglena
– Ocean Plankton (Phytoplankton or zooplankton)
[q] Saprotrophs (Decomposers)
[a] Heterotrophs but not consumers
– Secrete enzymes to external environment & digest food externally
– Pull in digested nutrients only
[q] Archaeans
[a] Extremophiles
– Photoautotroph (use light)
– Chemoautotroph (oxidation of inorganic chemicals such as sulfur)
– Heterotroph (oxidation of carbon compounds)
[q] Tall trees
[a] Growth tall (canopy or emergent trees)
[q] Lianas
[a] Root in the ground & then wrap around trees to get higher
[q] Epiphytes
[a] Grow on other trees
[q] Strangler epiphytes
[a] Start on tree & then grow down into the ground, take nutrients from others
[q] Shade-tolerant shrubs
[a] Can absorb far red light that can reach the ground through the trees
[q] Hominidae Teeth
[a] Teeth differences reflect difference in diets
[q] Homo-sapiens
[a] Us, omnivores
[q] Paranthropus robustus
[a] Nutcrackers; people who eat nuts
[q] Homo-floresiensis
[a] Really small mouth, missing pre-molars
[q] Herbivores vs.Plants
[a] Herbivores evolve adaptations to feed on plants and plants evolve adaptations to resist herbivory
[q] Predators vs. Prey
[a] Predators evolve adaptations for finding, catching, & killing prey and prey animals evolve adaptations for resisting predation
[q] Niche
[a] The role of a species in an ecosystem
[q] Factors that affect niches
[a] All biotic and abiotic factors (Any interaction with other living things, as well as anything that affects its range of tolerance)
[q] Fundamental niche
[a] Potential niche of a species based on adaptations and tolerance limits.
[q] Realized niche
[a] The actual niche of a species when in competition with other species
[q] Competitive exclusion
[a] Theory that states that if two species occupy the same niche, one will go extinct because it is an inferior competitor
[q] Niche partitioning
[a] (For two species with similar niches) The coexistence of two species due to small differences in their niches
[q] Microorganisms
[a] Microscopic organisms
[q] Obligate
[a] Mandatory (used as an adjective to show that a condition is mandatory)
Ex: Obligate anaerobes must live in environments with low amounts of oxygen
[q] Obligate anaerobe
[a] Obligate = mandatory
An organism that must live in an environment without much oxygen (less than atmospheric levels of oxygen)
In case you’re curious (and also kind of helpful): an- “without”, aer- “air”, -obe (bios) “life”.
[q] Obligate aerobe
[a] An organism that must live in an environment with atmospheric levels of oxygen
[q] Facultative anaerobe
[a] An organism that can live in environments with or without oxygen
[q] Autotroph
[a] Organisms that produce carbon compounds from inorganic compounds using light or inorganic chemical energy (not just plants, and not just sunlight!)
[q] Examples of autotrophs
[a] Plants, algae, some prokaryotes (bacteria), some archaeans
[q] Algae
[a] A huge group of organisms ranging from seaweed to single celled algae (not a true clade)
[q] Holozoic
[a] Another word for consumers. They obtain nutrition by ingesting food, digesting it internally, absorbing it, and assimilating it
[q] Heterotroph
[a] An organism that obtains carbon compounds from other organic sources
[q] Mixotroph
[a] An organism that is capable of both photosynthesis and heterotrophy. Can be obligate mixotrophs (requiring both) or facultative mixotrophs (can use one or the other, or both)
[q] Examples of mixotrophs
[a] Mixotrophs are often protists (single celled eukaryotes)
Euglena (image)
Ocean Plankton
Venus Flytrap
[q] Saprotrophs
[a] Decomposers
Heterotrophs but not consumers because they secrete enzymes to the external environment and digest food externally, rather than ingesting it.
They pull in only digested nutrients
[q] Examples of saprotrophs
[a] Some fungi and bacteria
[q] Domain of life
[a] The three major groupings of organisms: bacteria, eukaryotes, and archaeans
[q] Archaeans
[a] Extremophiles (-phile “loving”, so extreme condition loving organisms)
[q] Archaea nutrition types
[a] – Light
– Oxidation of inorganic chemicals such as sulfur
– Oxidation of carbon compounds
[q] Liana
[a] Plant that roots in the ground and wraps around trees to get higher
[q] Epiphyte
[a] Plant that takes root on and grows on other trees (“epi-” = on, “-phyte” = plant)
[q] Strangler epiphyte
[a] Plant that takes root on the tree and then grows down into the ground, taking nutrients from it
[q] Shade-tolerant shrubs
[a] Shrubs that can absorb far red light that reaches the ground through the trees
[q] Homo florensiensis teeth
[a] Small mouth, missing pre-molars
[q] Relationship between dentition (teeth) and diet
[a] Carnivores have sharp teeth, herbivores have flat teeth, omnivores have a mix of both
Will need to deduce a hominid’s diet from its skull
[q] Examples of adaptations for herbivores feeding on plants and of plants for resisting herbivory
[a] Herbivores: Leaf-eating insects feature piercing and chewing mouthparts. Flat teeth help to chew leaves as well.
Plants: Some plants use thorns and other physical structures. Other plants produce toxic compounds in leaves and seeds. Some herbivores have metabolic adaptations to detoxify these toxins, however.
[q] Examples of adaptations for predators hunting prey
[a] Physical, chemical, and behavioral adaptations
Examples: Fast speed, nimble body, resistance to prey’s toxins, infection resistance, camouflage, calls/sounds (sometimes the lack thereof), sharp claws
[q] Examples of adaptations for prey resisting predation
[a] Includes physical, chemical, and behavioral adaptations
Examples: Poison, fast speed, camouflage, quills, chemical signaling to warn of predators, etc.
[x] Exit text
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