ecology + biodiversity

• community = all the different organisms living in a particular habitat
• niche = the role the species plays in the ecosystem
• community = all of the populations of different species
• ecosystem = all of the living and non-living things
• Thermophiles live in hot environments, such as deep sea vents.
• Thermophiles have proteins that are thermal stable and can withstand high temperatures
• Halophiles live in salty environments, e.g in sea water
• Halophiles have a special cell wall and membrane structure so it can control the movement of salts in/out of it
• barophiles can live in habitats with extreme pressures e.g deep underwater
• In food chains, the arrows show the flow of energy and matter
• Population growth curve


  lag phase = very slow growth due to population becoming established in the habitat
• Population growth curve


  exponential phase = very rapid growth because birth rate is greater than death rate
• Population growth curve


  Stationary phase = population size is stable; birth rate = death rate
• Population growth curve


  Carrying capacity = the maximum population size that the habitat will support
• estimated number of organisms in field = mean number of organisms per quadrat x number of quadrats that would fit into the field
• taxonomic group = a group of living things with shared features
• carl linnaeus = king phillip can only father ginger sons (BIONOMIAL naming system)
• bionomial name = genus + species
• the 5 kingdoms: bacteria, fungi, protists, eukaryotic cells,
• carl woese proposed a new naming system to allow for prokaryotes to be classified
• dying king phillip can only father ginger sons
• 3 domains = Archaea, Bacteria, Eukaryota
• economic benefits of high biodiversity = medical uses, tourism, agriculture
• ethical benefits to having high biodiversity = no mass extinction, stable ecosystems
• H abitat destruction

  I nvading species

  P opulation increase

  P ollution

  O ver exploitation