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83 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ecology
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the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment
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Abiotic Factor
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any non-living thing that affects an ecosystem ex. air currents, temperatures, moisture, light, soil |
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Biotic Factor
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a living part of the environment that my affect an ecosystem i.e. all organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection |
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Producer
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(make food) contain chlorophyll and can use energy directly from the sun |
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Consumer
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(use food by eating producers or other consumers) |
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Autotrophs
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any organism that can produce its own food supply (AKA Producers) ex. plants, algae, some protists, and some bacteria |
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Habitat
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the place an organism lives
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Niche
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an organism's exact physical and biological conditions that an organism inhabits in an ecosystem
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Heterotrophs
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eat other organisms to obtain energy
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Herbivore
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eat only plants
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Carnivore
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eat only other animals
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Omnivore
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eat both plants and animals
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Detritimores
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feed on dead plant and animal reamins ex. buzzards |
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Decomposers
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fungi and bacteria
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Food Chain
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a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
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Food Web
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more realistic path through an ecosystem made of many food chains
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Trophic Level
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a step in the food chain or food web
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Biomass
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total amount of living tissue within a trophic level
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Carbon Cycle
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processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, chiefly involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
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Carbon Sink
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The processes used by nature to constantly take carbon out of the atmosphere
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Photosynthesis
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process by which plants use sunlight to make food using carbon dioxide and water
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Respiration
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process cells go through to produce usable energy- ATP
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Decay
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plants and animals die and the carbon in their bodies will either be released into the atmosphere or stored in ground as fossil fuels
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Combustion
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when plants, trees, or fossil fuels are burned, carbon is released into the atmosphere
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Global Warming
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a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
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Nitrogen Cycle
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processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition.
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Legume
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a leguminous plant, especially one grown as a crop.
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Fixation
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the first step in the process of making nitrogen usable by plants- bacteria changes nitrogen into ammonium
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Nitrification
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process by which ammonium gets changed into nitrates by bacteria.
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Assimilation
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how plants get nitrogen- absorb nitrates from the soil into their roots, then nitrogen gets used in amino acids, nucleic acids, and chlorophyll
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Ammonification
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part of the decaying process- decomposers like fungi and bacteria turn the nitrogen back into ammonium so it can reenter the nitrogen cycle
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Denitrification
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extra nitrogen in the soil gates put back out into the air- special bacteria perform this task (either free-living or live within the roots of the plants)
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Fertilizer Runoff
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causes changes in soil salinity and composition, runoffs into water system prevents healthy growth
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Algal Blooms
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a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system
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Dead Zone
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low oxygen areas in Earth's oceans and large lakes, "excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom areas
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Phosphorus Cycle
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the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
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Mineralization
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decomposition or oxidation of the chemical compounds in organic matter into plant-accessible forms.
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Adsorption
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adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface.
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Competitive Exclusive Principle
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no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time ex. lion and hyena compete for food |
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Predation
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when one organism captures and feeds upon another organism
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Predator
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does the killing and eating
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Prey
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is the food
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Symbiotic
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living together
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Mutualism |
both species benefit
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Commensalism
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one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
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Parasitism
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when one organism (the parasite) lives off of another organism (the host)
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Population Density
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the number of individuals per unit of area
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Geographic Distribution
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describes the area inhabited by a population
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Growth Rate
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the increase or decrease of the number of individuals in a population over time
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Carrying Capacity
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the max number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support
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Logistic Growth
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when population growth is slowed due to limiting factors
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Life Expectancy
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average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live
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Total Fertility Rate
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average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime
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Natality Rate (CBR)
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number of live births per 1,000 women per year
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Mortality Rate (CDR)
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number of infant deaths per 1,000 per year
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Ecological Footprint
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a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystem
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Primary Consumers
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the living organism that eats the producers ex. herbivores |
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Secondary Consumer
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eat primary consumers ex. carnivores |
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Tertiary Consumer
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a carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores
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Describe the first level of organization
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Organism/species: an individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and developes
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Describe the second level of organization
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Population: a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
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Describe the third level of organization
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Community: a collection of different populations that live together in a defined area
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Describe the fourth level of organization
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Ecosystem: all the organisms that live in a place together with their physical environment
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Describe the fifth level of organisms
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Biome: a group of ecosystems that share similar characteristics and typical organisms
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Example of a biotic factor
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all organisms depend upon each other either directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection
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Example of an abiotic factor
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air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil
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What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph?
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An autotroph makes its own food A heterotroph must get it from somewhere else |
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What is the difference between a predator and a scavenger?
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A predator hunts (kills) obtain food A scavenger searches for already hunted remains |
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Explain the relationships and information that can be identified in a food chain and food web.
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Both display the transfer of energy from one organism to another. A food web is a combination of detailed food chains.
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How much energy is passed from one trophic level to the next? What happens to the rest of it?
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Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. The other 90% is lost as heat.
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How do plants produce energy? What are the reactants and products in this reaction?
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Plants produce energy through photosynthesis. The reactants are carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight. The reactants are glucose and oxygen.
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Explain what happens when carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycles are disrupted.
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It can cause fertilizer runoff, algae blooms, and dead zones.
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What causes the disruption and what can be done to retain balance in the affected ecosystem?
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Human activity; decrease in harmful human activities
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What is a niche?
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an organism's exact physical and biological conditions that an organism inhabits in an ecosystem.
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What is the difference between logistic and exponential growth? What factors cause each of these growth patterns?
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Logistic growth occurs when there are limited resources due to competition; it slows, stops, and has a period of exponential growth. Exponential growth occurs when there is unlimited resources due to little competition; individuals produce at a constant rate.
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How can you tell which population is growing fastest when you look at a graph of two populations whose numbers are both increasing?
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Look at which has the highest slope
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What is carrying capacity? What factors affect carrying capacity?
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the max number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support Factors: food availability, water supply, environmental conditions and living space |
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What factors cause a population to decrease? Increasing?
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Decrease: Number of deaths and emigration Increase: Number of live births and immigration |
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What is symbiosis?
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means living together
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What is Mutualism? Give an example.
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both species benefit 1. Flowers and pollinators 2. Ants and acacia trees 3. Lichens with algae and fungus |
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What is Commensalism? Give an example.
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One organism benefits while the other is neither helpful nor harmful 1. Bird nest in a tree 2. Barnacles on whales |
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What is parasitism? Give an example.
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One organism lives off of another organism 1. Tapeworms 2. Ticks 3. Leeches |
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What are ways that humans negatively impact the environment?
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Fertilizer runoff, pollution, litter, stupidity.
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