Science Ch. 12

Front 1

Biosphere

Back 1

the part of Earth that supports life, including the top portion of Earth's crust, all the waters that cover Earth's surface, and the surrounding atmosphere

Front 2

ecosystem

Back 2

all the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment

Front 3

ecology

Back 3

the study of interactions that occur among organisms and their environment

Front 4

population

Back 4

all the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species

Front 5

community

Back 5

all the populations in an ecosystem

Front 6

habitat

Back 6

the place in which an organism lives

Front 7

competition

Back 7

takes place when more than one organism seeks the same resource at the same time. Competition limits population size.

Front 8

limiting factor

Back 8

anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population

Front 9

carrying capacity

Back 9

the largest number of individuals of one species that an ecosystem can support over time

Front 10

producer

Back 10

an organism that uses an outside energy source, such as the Sun to make energy-rich molecules

Front 11

consumer

Back 11

an organism that cannot make its own energy-rich molecules

Front 12

herbivore

Back 12

plant eater

Front 13

carnivore

Back 13

animal that eats other animals

Front 14

omnivore

Back 14

animal that eats plants and other animals

Front 15

decomposer

Back 15

consumes waste and dead organisms

Front 16

food chain

Back 16

a simple model of the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

Front 17

population density

Back 17

the size of a population in a specific area

Front 18

biotic potential

Back 18

the highest rate at which a population would grow under ideal conditions (if no limiting factors restricted the growth of a population)

Front 19

symbiosis

Back 19

any close relationship between species

Front 20

mutualism

Back 20

a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit

Front 21

commensalism

Back 21

a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not affected

Front 22

parasitism

Back 22

a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is harmed

Front 23

niche

Back 23

how an organism survives, how it obtains food and shelter, how it finds a mate and cares for its young, and how it avoids danger (special adaptations may be part of an organism's niche)

Front 24

predator

Back 24

a consumer that captures and eats other consumers

Front 25

prey

Back 25

an organism captured by a predator

Front 26

Living Earth relationship

Back 26

Organism->Habitat->Population->Community->Ecosystem

Each organism lives in a habtitat. All of the organisms of the same species in an ecosystem make up a population. All the populations in an ecosystem make up a community. All of the communities, and the non-living features of their environment make up an ecosystem.

Front 27

Elements affecting population size

Back 27

limiting factors, carrying capacity, biotic potential, birth & death rates, movement

Front 28

Predator/Prey relationship

Back 28

Predator captures and eats prey. The presence of predators usually increases number of species that can live in an ecosystem by limiting size of prey populations, so that more food and other resources are available, reducing competition between species. (Rabbit/Fox lab)

Front 29

a habitat must provide ...

Back 29

food, shelter, temperature and moisture (eg. trees are woodpecker's hospital)

Front 30

competition's effect on population

Back 30

limits size

Front 31

competition most intense

Back 31

between members of same species

Front 32

population size indicates...

Back 32

whether population is healthy and growing

Front 33

How to measure the size of a population

Back 33

1. trap, mark & measure
2. sample count

Front 34

elements that effect population size

Back 34

1. limiting factors
2. carrying capacity
3. biotic potential
4. birth & death rates
5. movement of organisms into or out of an area

Front 35

exponential growth

Back 35

the larger a population becomes, the faster it grows

Front 36

photosynthesis

Back 36

process used by producers which use the Sun and contain chlorophyll

Front 37

chemosynthesis

Back 37

process used by producers found near volcanic vents on ocean floor, which use mineral molecules as an energy source