Honors Biology Ecology Test

Front 1

ecology

Back 1

the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment

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greenhouse effect

Back 2

the warming of the earth due to the insulating effect of gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor.

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biosphere

Back 3

the area on and around earth where life exists

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ecosystem

Back 4

all the biotic and abiotic components of an environment

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community

Back 5

all the populations in one area

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population

Back 6

all the members of a species that live in the same area and make up a breeding group

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biotic factor

Back 7

a living component of an ecosystem

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abiotic factor

Back 8

any nonliving component of an ecosystem

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tolerance curve

Back 9

a graph of a organisms tolerance to a range of an environmental variable

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acclimation

Back 10

the process of an organisms adjustment to an abiotic factor

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conformers

Back 11

an organism that does not regulate its internal environment

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regulators

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an organism that uses energy to control its internal environment

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dormancy

Back 13

a state of decreased metabolism

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migration

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when a species moves to another, more favorable habitat

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resources

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the energy and materials a species needs

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fundamental niche

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the full range of conditions that a species can tolerate and resources it can use.

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realized niche

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the range of resources and conditions a species actually uses or can tolerate at optimal efficiency; smaller than fundamental niche

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generalists

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a species with a broad niche that can tolerate a wide range of conditions and can use a variety of resources

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specialists

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a species with a narrow niche that can tolerate a narrow range of conditions and can only a few specific resources

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dispersion

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the spatial distribution of individuals in a population.

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birth rate

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the number of births occurring in a period of time

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death rate (mortality rate)

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the number of deaths occurring in a period of time

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life expectancy

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how long, on average, an individual is expected to live

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age structure

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the distribution of individuals among different ages in a population

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survivorship curves

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the graph of a species mortality rate data

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growth rate

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the amount by which a populations size changes in a given time

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immigration

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the movement of individuals into a population

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emigration

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the movement of individuals out of a population.

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exponential model

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a model of population growth in which the birth and death rates are constant

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limiting factor

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biotic or abiotic factor that restrains the growth of a population

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logistic model

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a model of population growth in which birth and death rates vary with population size and are equal at the carrying capacity

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carrying capacity

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the number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem is capable of supporting

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density independent factors

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a variable that affects population size regardless of population density

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density dependent factors

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a variable related to the density of a population that affects population size

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inbreeding

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mating with relatives

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symbioses

Back 36

the relationship between different species living in close association with one another.

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predator

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captures, kills, and consumes other individuals

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prey

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an individual that is captured, killed, or consumed by another

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mimicry

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a defense in which on organism resembles another that is dangerous or poisonous

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herbivores

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a consumer that eats primary producers

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secondary compounds

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a poisonous, irritating, or bad tasting substance synthesized by plants as a defense mechinism

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parasite

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an organism that obtains its nutrition at the expense of another

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host

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an organism that supports a parasite

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ectoparasites

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a parasite that lives on a host but does not enter the hosts body.

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endoparasites

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a parasite that lives inside the hosts body

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competition

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results from fundamental niche overlap

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competitive exclusion

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the local extinction of a species due to competition

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character displacement

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evolution of anatomical differences that reduce competition between similar species

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mutualism

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a cooperative relationship in which both species derive some benefit

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commensalism

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an interaction in which one species benefits and the other is not affected

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species richness

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the number of species a community contains

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species diversity

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a relation of the number of species in a community to the relative abundance of each species

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species area effect

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a pattern of species distribution in which larger areas contain more species than smaller areas do

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succession

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the gradual, sequential, regrowth of species in an area

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primary succession

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the development of a community in an area that has not supported life previously

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secondary succession

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the sequential replacement of species that follows disruption of an existing community

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pioneer species

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the typically small, fast-growing species that predominate early in succession

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climax community

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stable community

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producers

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autotrophs which capture energy and use it to make organic molecules.

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chemosynthesis

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process by which bacteria produce carbohydrates by using energy from inorganic molocules

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gross primary productivity

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the rate at which producers in an ecosystem capture energy

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biomass

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organic material in an ecosystem

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net primary productivity

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the rate at which biomass accumulates

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consumers

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heterotrophs

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carnivores

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eat other consumers

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omnivore

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omnivores eat both consumers and producers

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detritivore

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a consumer that feeds on dead plants and animals

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decomposer

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an organism that obtains nutrients from dead plants and animals

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trophic level

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a feeding level in an ecosystem

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food chain

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pathway beginning with producers along which energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level

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food web

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the interconnected food chains in an ecosystem

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biogeochemical cycle

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the process by which materials necessary for organisms are circulated through the environment

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ground water

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water found in the soil or in underground formations of porous rocks

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water cycle

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the movement of water between the ground, the atmosphere and bodies of water.

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transpiration

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the evaporation of water through stomata

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carbon cycle

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process in which carbon is cycled through the biosphere

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nitrogen cycle

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the pathway that nitrogen follows within an ecosystem

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nitrogen fixation

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the process by which gaseous nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia

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nitrogen fixing bacteria

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bacteria that live in the roots of legumes and convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia

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ammonification

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in the nitrogen cycle, the formation of ammonia compounds

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nitrification

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the process in the nitrogen cycle by which nitrates and nitrates are produced

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denitrification

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a final step in the nitrogen cycle, during which nitrogen gas is returned to the atmosphere