Biology Ecology

Front 1

population

Back 1

the simplest grouping of organisms in nature

Front 2

community

Back 2

all the populations of different organisms within a given area

Front 3

explain how organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystem relate to each other

Back 3

organisms are in communites, populations, and ecosystems, while populations are in communites, communites are in ecosystems and they all consist of animals, plants, and bacteria and how they are categorize

Front 4

species

Back 4

a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

Front 5

ecosystem

Back 5

a community and the physical environment that it occupies

Front 6

mutualism

Back 6

a symbolic relationship in which both organisms benefit from their association

Front 7

commensalism

Back 7

a type of symbolic relationship in which one organism benefits from the association and the other is not affected

Front 8

define limiting factors and list examples

Back 8

a resource that is necessary for the organism's survival but can only be found in a finite amount -- exp. food, water territory, mates

Front 9

parasitism

Back 9

a symbolic relationship in which one organism benefits from the association and the the other is harmed

Front 10

habitat

Back 10

learned behavior that becomes automatic

Front 11

niche

Back 11

the role of a species in an ecosystem

Front 12

What does population ecology cover?

Back 12

the growth, abundance, and distribution of population

Front 13

producers

Back 13

organisms such as green plants that produce organic compounds from inorganic compounds

Front 14

consumers

Back 14

the heterotrophs, the organisms that obtain nutrients from other organisms

Front 15

pyramid of energy

Back 15

the amount of available energy in an ecosystem

Front 16

pyramid of biomass

Back 16

the relative mass of organisms at each feeding level in an ecosystem

Front 17

herbivores

Back 17

organisms that only eat plants.

Front 18

This trophic level consumes only producers.

Back 18

primary consumer

Front 19

nitrifying bacteria

Back 19

bacteria that can convert amonia to nitrite and nitrate

Front 20

carnivores

Back 20

organisms that only eat animals.

Front 21

Organisms that consume primary consumers.

Back 21

secondary consumers

Front 22

carbon cycle

Back 22

the pathways by which carbon is circulated through the bioshphere

Front 23

omnivores

Back 23

organisms that eat both plants and animals

Front 24

water cycle

Back 24

the cycling of water between the surface of the earth and the atmosphere

Front 25

ecological succession

Back 25

the process by which an existing community is slowing replaced by another community

Front 26

Organisms that consume secondary consumers.

Back 26

tertiary consumers

Front 27

What are limiting factors?

Back 27

those elements that prevent a population from attaining its biotic potential

Front 28

decomposers

Back 28

organisms of decay

Front 29

pyramid of biomass

Back 29

the relative mass of organisms at each feeding level in an ecosystem

Front 30

What is the equation for the growth of a population?

Back 30

r = (births-deaths)/N

r is the reproductive rate
N is the population size at the beginning of the interval

Front 31

nitrifying bacteria

Back 31

bacteria that can convert amonia to nitrite and nitrate

Front 32

What are the three types of ecological pyramids?

Back 32

1 - Energy
2 - Biomass
3 - Population Size

Front 33

ecological pyramid

Back 33

diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain

Front 34

nitrogen fixation

Back 34

a process by which nitrogen- fixing organisms produce nitrogen compounds from the gasenous nitrogen of the atmosphere

Front 35

primary succession

Back 35

succession that occurs in an area that had no previously existing life

Front 36

carbon cycle

Back 36

the pathways by which carbon is circulated through the bioshphere

Front 37

secondary succession

Back 37

succession that occurs in an area in which an existing community has been partially destroyed and it's balance upset

Front 38

why are the things that limit population capable of limiting population

Back 38

they become more intense as the population rises and becomes more crowded. they can either reduce natality or increase mortality.

Front 39

biome

Back 39

a large geographical region that has a particular type of climax community

Front 40

ecological niche

Back 40

composed of all the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce

Front 41

Symbiosis

Back 41

A close ecological relationship between two or more organisms of different species that live in direct contact with one another.

Front 42

Population Dispersion

Back 42

the way in which individuals of a population are spread in an area or a volume

Front 43

survivorship curve

Back 43

a generalized diagram showing the number of surviving members over time from a measured set of births

Front 44

Immigration

Back 44

the movement of individuals into a population from another population

Front 45

Emigration

Back 45

the movement of individuals out of a population into another population

Front 46

exponential growth

Back 46

occurs when a population size increases dramatically over a period of time

Front 47

logistic growth

Back 47

a population begins with a period of slow growth followed by a brief period of exponential growth before leveling off at a stable size

Front 48

Carrying Capacity

Back 48

the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that the environment can normally and consistently support

Front 49

population crash

Back 49

dramatic decline in the size of a population over s short period of time

Front 50

predation

Back 50

interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organisms

Front 51

climate

Back 51

the long-term pattern of weather conditions in a region

Front 52

carbon cycle

Back 52

the pathways by which carbon is circulated through the bioshphere

Front 53

What substance can hold heat very well?

Back 53

water

Front 54

primary consumers
secondary consumers
tertiary consumers
detritivores/decomposers

Back 54

eat plants
eat herbivores
eat carnivores
eat waste and detritus

Front 55

nitrogen cycle

Back 55

reservoir = atmosphere
processes = many mediated by bacteria (nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification)

Front 56

biodiversity

Back 56

biological diversity

Front 57

earth

Back 57

our planet, third planet from the Sun in order of distance

Front 58

precipitation

Back 58

separation of a solid from a solution; condensed moisture that falls from the sky (i.e. rain, snow)

Front 59

closed system

Back 59

chemicals are recycled instead of being lost and replenished constantly such as in an open system.

Front 60

nutrient cycle

Back 60

water;nitrogen;carbon

Front 61

convection cycle

Back 61

sun strikesequator at 90 degrees;water warmed and evaporates water precipitates back to equator dry air goes to poles

Front 62

rain shadow effect

Back 62

result of the process by which moist air on the windward side of a mountain rises and cools, causing precipitation and leaving the leeward side of the mountain dry.

Front 63

transpiration

Back 63

The process by which water vapor is lost to the atmosphere from living plants

Front 64

precipitation

Back 64

Removal of hazardous solids from liquid waste to permit safe disposal

Front 65

percolation

Back 65

movement of water downward and radially through subsurface soil layers, usually continuing downward to ground water. Can also involve upward movement of water.

Front 66

ground water flow

Back 66

movement of water through openings in sediment and rock that occurs in the Zone of Saturation.

Front 67

surface flow

Back 67

the runoff that travels overland to the stream channel.

Front 68

vapor transport

Back 68

a chemical transport reaction describes a process for purification and crystallization of non-volatile solids.

Front 69

absorption

Back 69

The uptake of water , other fluids, or dissolved chemicals by a cell or an organism

Front 70

photosynthesis

Back 70

The manufacture by plants of carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon dioxide mediated by chlorophyll in the presence of sunlight.

Front 71

respiration

Back 71

The process by which animals use up stored foods (by combustion with oxygen) to produce energy.

Front 72

death/decay

Back 72

end of life; dying; destruction
rot, decompose; deteriorate, waste away

Front 73

fossil fuel formation

Back 73

Fuel derived from ancient organic remains; e.g. peat, coal, crude oil, and natural gas.

Front 74

carbon sink

Back 74

A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period.

Front 75

combustion

Back 75

Burning, or rapid oxidation, accompanied by release of energy in the form of heat and light

Front 76

atmospheric nitrogen

Back 76

A gas that can be kept at very high pressure

Front 77

struggle for survival

Back 77

when a species is in competition and not succeeding. It may die out.

Front 78

competition for limited resources

Back 78

Competition occurs over a shared, limited, and limiting resource

Front 79

pyramid of numbers

Back 79

raw number of each species at each trophic level

Front 80

food/energy

Back 80

A food chain shows how energy is transfered between organisms

Front 81

shelter

Back 81

a basic structure or building that provides cover

Front 82

births

Back 82

act of being born; act of giving birth; descent, lineage

Front 83

deaths

Back 83

end of life; dying; destruction

Front 84

random

Back 84

accidentally, by chance, without prior planning

Front 85

uniform

Back 85

similar, alike; constant, even, unvarying

Front 86

clumped

Back 86

cluster together; collect together; grow together; stick together

Front 87

human influences

Back 87

Deforestation leads to the increase in land for agriculture

Front 88

human influences

Back 88

Deforestation affects diversity

Front 89

human influences

Back 89

Deforestation affects carbon and nitrogen cycles

Front 90

human influences

Back 90

Ecological Impact of Farming

Front 91

deforestation

Back 91

process of clearing forests or trees

Front 92

non native species

Back 92

A species which is not originally found in an area or country is non-native

Front 93

over hunting /fishing/grazing

Back 93

exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods

Front 94

elimination of keystone species

Back 94

A species whose loss from an ecosystem would cause a greater than average change in other species populations or ecosystem processes;

Front 95

agriculture

Back 95

raising of crops and livestock

Front 96

forest land management

Back 96

process of managing the use and development (in both urban and rural settings) of land resources

Front 97

sustainability

Back 97

ability to survive without human interference ability to be kept going

Front 98

habitat restoration

Back 98

The return of a habitat to its original community structure, natural complement of species and natural functions.

Front 99

biodiversity

Back 99

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

Front 100

temperature

Back 100

degree of hotness or coldness