Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is Ecology?
|
Ecology is the study of relationships between organisms and the living and non living factors in their environment
|
|
List the ecological organization from most general to most speciic
|
Biosphere
Ecosystem Community Population Individual |
|
What is population?
|
Group of organisms of the same species that live in one area during a specific time
|
|
What is community?
|
The combination of all popualations living in an area and interacting with each other
|
|
What is the Ecosystem?
|
The living community and its environment
|
|
List the parts of the Ecosystem, and describe about it
|
Abiotic Factors- non living components
Biotic Factors- all of the living organisms in an ecosystem |
|
What is the biosphere?
|
The portion of earth where life exists
|
|
List what an ecosystem needs to survive
|
- It need to have a relative constant source of energy
- And the organic and inorganic nutrients need to be recycled |
|
What are autotrophs and list its qualities?
|
1. Autotrophs are organisms which create their own food from inorganic molecules
2. For example, Plants |
|
What are heterotrophs and list its qualities?
|
- Organisms which cannot create their own food
- Depend on other organisms for food |
|
List one type of heterotrophs and list qualities and examples
|
Decomposers
- Organisms that act as decomposers by absorbing nutrients from dead organic matter - Most common example is mushrooms, fungi |
|
List one type of heterotroph and list qualities and examples
|
Herbivores
- Plant eaters - Example rabbits, deer |
|
List one<C> type of heterotrophs and list qualities and examples
|
Carnivores
- Eats other animals |
|
List carnivores and their qualities
|
Predators
- hunt and kill other animals for food Scavenger - search out dead or already dying organisms for food |
|
Omnivores
|
Eats both plants and animals
EX. most humans |
|
What is a food chain?
|
A food chain is a transfer of energy from green plants(autotrophs) through a series of organisms with repeated stages of eating and being eaten
|
|
List the base of all food chains and list qualities
|
Producers(Autotrophs)
- Organisms which produce their own food - First or base trophic level - EX. Plants |
|
List the second level in a food chain
|
Primary consumers(Heterotrophs)
- Organisms which consume producers - Second level - EX. mouse |
|
List the third level in food chain
|
Secondary consumers
- Also heterotrophs - Organisms which consume primary consumers - Third trophic level -EX. foxes |
|
The final level in food chain
|
Decomposers
- Break down dead producers and consumers - EX. Mushroom |
|
What is a food web?
|
- A food web has many interconnected food chains
- Non-linear |
|
What do ecological pyramids represent?
|
Illustrate the relationship between producers and consumers by indicating decrease in #'s or biomass, or energy at each trophic level
|
|
List the ecological pyramids
|
- Pyramid of energy
- Pyramid of biomass - Pyramid of numbers |
|
What is the 10% rule?
|
10% energy rule means that when you move up a trophic level, 90% of the energy is lost as heat energy, and only 10% of the energy is used for the life process of the organism, or for further use
|
|
What are the symbiont and host?
|
- Symbiont refers to the SMALLER participant in a symbiotic relationship
- Host is the LARGER participant in the relationship |
|
List the three types of symbiotic relationships
|
- Commensalism
- Mutualism - Parastitism |
|
What is commensalism?
|
It's a symbiotic relationship where the host is neither harmed nor helped, but the symbiont benefits
|
|
What is mutualism?
|
- It's a symbiotic relationship where both symbiont and host benefit
- EX. birds on rhino |
|
What is parasitism?
|
- It's a symbiotic relationship where both symbiont benefits whereas the host is harmed
- EX. Fleas on a dog |
|
What are biomes?
|
1. Refers to most common climax ecosystem that will form in geographic regions of similar climatic conditions
|
|
What is our biome?
|
It's the temperate deciduous foresets
|
|
What is one type of biome?
|
Terrestrial(Land)
- Land biomes are characterized by climax vegetation in the region - Major plant and animal zones are determined by major climatic zones |
|
What do climates vary too?
|
- Precipitation
- Light - Altitude - Latitude - Temperature |
|
What is another type of biome? <W>
|
Aquatic(Water)
- Represent largest ecosystem - More stable than land biomes - Factors affecting the kinds and #'s of organisms - Dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide - Temperature - Light |
|
What is succesion? And what are the types?
|
- Succesion is the process of gradual change over time
- The types are primary and secondary |
|
What is primary succesion?
|
- Begins on a virtually lifeless soil
- Soil is not yet filled with nutrients for self sustaining ecosystem - EX. volcanic island |
|
What are the pioneer species(qualities) in primary succesion?
|
- Must be very simple
- Live off few nutrients - Modify the environment so more complex organisms may live - Add nutrients - Modify soils |
|
What is secondary succesion?
|
- Occurs where an existing community has been cleared by some disturbances
- Soil is left intact -EX. forest fire, flood |
|
What are the pioneer species(qualities) in secondary succesion?
|
- More complex than in primary succesion
- More complex organisms settle quickly -EX. Grasses and weeds |
|
What is Climax community?
|
- The end result of succesion
- Each biome is a different climax community |
|
What is a habitat?
|
A place where a particular organism lives within an environment
|
|
What is niche?
|
Niche is the particular combination of resources that an organism is able to exploit
|
|
What are the three elements in a carbon cycle?
|
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
|
|
What important steps are invoved in a carbon cycle?
|
Cell respiration and carbon fixation, respiration and photosynthesis
|
|
What is involved in the nitrogen cycle?
|
Nitrates
|