defintions

Question 1

ecosystem

Answer 1

living organisms that share a region and interact with each other and their non-living environment

Question 2

population

Answer 2

all of the individuals of a single species in a particular area

Question 3

community

Answer 3

individuals from all of the populations

Question 4

sustainable ecosystems

Answer 4

natural ecosystems that maintain a relatively constant set of characteristics over a long period of time

Question 5

limiting factor

Answer 5

any factor that places an upper limit on the size of a population

Question 6

tolerance range

Answer 6

the range of conditions within which an organism is able to survive

Question 7

competition

Answer 7

tow individuals vie for the same resource

Question 8

predation

Answer 8

one individual feeds on another

Question 9

mutualism

Answer 9

two individuals benefiting each other

Question 10

parasitism

Answer 10

one individual lives on or in and feeds on a host organism

Question 11

commensalism

Answer 11

one individual benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed

Question 12

ecological pyramids

Answer 12

display relationships between trophic levels in ecosystems

Question 13

food chain

Answer 13

a sequence of organisms, each feeding on the next, showing how energy is transferred from one organism to another

Question 14

food web

Answer 14

a representation of the feeding relationships within a community

Question 15

ecological niche

Answer 15

the role of a species within its ecosystem

Question 16

producer

Answer 16

an organism that makes its own energy, the base for all food chains, any green plants

Question 17

consumer

Answer 17

an organism that can’t make its own food, has to feed on other organisms to survive. insects

Question 18

detritus

Answer 18

organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms. fallen leaves

Question 19

decomposer

Answer 19

an organism that decomposes organic materials. fungi

Question 20

trophic level

Answer 20

the position of an organism along a food chain

Question 21

carrying capacity

Answer 21

the size of a population that an ecosystem can support (its upper limit)

Question 22

population growth

Answer 22

the increase of individuals in a population

Question 23

exponential growth

Answer 23

the unrestricted growth of a population of organisms

Question 24

equilibrium

Answer 24

the condition in which all acting influences are balanced or cancelled by equal opposing forces, resulting in a stable system

Question 25

species at risk

Answer 25

any organism in danger of extinction

Question 26

endangered

Answer 26

a species facing imminent extirpation or extinction

Question 27

extirpated

Answer 27

a species that no longer exists in a specific area

Question 28

threatened

Answer 28

a species that is likely to become endangered if factors reducing its survival are not changed

Question 29

biodiversity

Answer 29

the variety of life found in an area

Question 30

biomes

Answer 30

an area classified to the organisms and climate in that location

Question 31

photosynthesis

Answer 31

converting light energy into chemical energy. carbon dioxide and water convert light energy into sugar and oxygen

Question 32

cellular respiration

Answer 32

making stored energy. sugar and oxygen is converted into carbon dioxide and water and energy

Question 33

atmosphere

Answer 33

the layer of gases extending up for hundreds of kilometres. acts like a blanket to moderate surface temperature

Question 34

lithosphere

Answer 34

the rocky outer shell of the earth. consists of rocks and materials

Question 35

hydrosphere

Answer 35

consists of all water, on, above, and below Earth's surface

Question 36

biosphere

Answer 36

the locations in which life can exist. very thin

Question 37

fragmentation

Answer 37

the dividing up of a region into smaller parcels or fragments

Question 38

bioaccumulation

Answer 38

the accumulation and concentration of pesticides in the body of an individual

Question 39

bioamplification

Answer 39

any concentration or accumulation of a toxin (pesticides) in the body of an individual

Question 40

urban sprawl

Answer 40

the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas

Question 41

invasive species

Answer 41

introduced species with growing populations that have spread and have a negative effect on the environment

Question 42

monoculture

Answer 42

the cultivation of a single crop in a given area