7.1 ecology

Question 1

ecology

Answer 1

the study of populations of living organisms and their relationship with the non-living environment in which they live

Question 2

individual

Answer 2

single member of a species

Question 3

population

Answer 3

individuals of the same species in the same area at the same time

Question 4

community

Answer 4

multiple populations (dif species) living and interacting in the same area

Question 5

ecosystem

Answer 5

interaction between a community and the non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment

Question 6

examples of interdependence

Answer 6

animals eat plants
insects help pollination in plants
animals eat animals (predators and scavengers)
plants provide habitats/nest sites and nest material
detritivors decay dead matter
faeces and urine put nutrients into plants

Question 7

ecosystem

Answer 7

the interaction of a community of living organisma with the non-living parts of their environment

Question 8

stable community

Answer 8

a community where all the species and environmental factors are in balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant

Question 9

abiotic factors affecting communities

Answer 9

temperature—limits photosynthesis
wind intensity and direction—affects stomata closing, flying animals
light intensity—photosynthesis
soil pH and mineral content
conc of O2 and CO2–resp and photosynthesis

Question 10

biotic factors

Answer 10

new predators
interspecific comp
availability of food
new pathogens or parasites

Question 11

competition

Answer 11

biotic factor
intraspecific competition—between individuals within the same species
interspecific competition—between individuals of different species

Question 12

how are plants adapted to compete in reproduction

Answer 12

more pollen
open flowers earlier in spring
more seeds
brightly coloured petals

Question 13

successful plant competitors and why

Answer 13

germinate quickly so that roots grow down into the soil—out compete other plants for mineral ions, water, space
open their leaves fastest—get more light

Question 14

adaptations

Answer 14

features that enable organisms to survive in the conditions in which they normally live
structural—physical part of feature of an organism, e.g. hornet moth has black and yellow stripes to look like a bee
behavioural—the way an organism behaves, e.g. male palm cockatoos use sticks to beat on hollow branches to attract females, penguin huddles
functional—biological processes within an organism, e.g. sea spiders have automatic muscle contractions that move oxygen around their bodies

Question 15

extremophiles

Answer 15

organisms that live in environments that are very extreme, containing high levels of salt, high temps or high pressures
halophiles—high levels of salt
thermophiles—high temps
barophiles—high pressures, e.g. deep sea