Ecology

Question 1

Define ecology

Answer 1

Ecology is the study of living things and how they interact with their environment

Question 2

Define biosphere

Answer 2

The part of the planet which enhabits life

Question 3

Define ecosystem

Answer 3

An ecosystem is the group of different species that interact with their environment

Question 4

Define habitat

Answer 4

A habitat is a place where an organism lives

Question 5

Define population

Answer 5

A population is all the member of the same species living in an area

Question 6

Define community

Answer 6

A community is all the different populations in an area

Question 7

Define abiotic factors

Answer 7

Non living factors

Question 8

Define biotic factors

Answer 8

Living factors

Question 9

Define edaphic factors

Answer 9

Edaphic factors relate to the soil

Question 10

What are producers?

Answer 10

Organisms that provide their own food (photosynthesis)

Question 11

What are flora and fauna?

Answer 11

Flora = Flowers
Fauna = Animals

Question 12

What is a trophic level?

Answer 12

A trophic level is a feeding stage in a food chain

Question 13

Why do food chains usually never exceed 4 organisms?

Answer 13

About 10% of energy from each trophic level is passed on. There is a lot of energy loss

Question 14

What is a food Web?

Answer 14

A food Web consists of two or more interlinked food chains

Question 15

Define niche

Answer 15

A niche is a specific role an organism plays within its community

Question 16

What is nutrient recycling

Answer 16

Nutrient recycling is the way in which elements (nitrogen, carbon) are exchanged between the living and non living components of an ecosystem

Question 17

Define polution

Answer 17

Pollution is any harmful addition to the environment

Question 18

What are some roles of micro-organisms In waste management

Answer 18

LANDFILL SITES: Bacteria and fungi in the soil break down the organic materials

SEWAGE:

Question 19

What are the 3 R’s of waste production?

Answer 19

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Question 20

What are some factors that control populations

Answer 20

1. Competition
2. Parasitism
3. Predation
4. Symbiosis

Question 21

Define competition

Answer 21

Competition occurs when organisms actively struggle for a resource that is in short supply

Question 22

Define contest competition

Answer 22

In contest competition, there is an active physical struggle between 2 organisms where only 1 of them get the food

Question 23

Define scramble competition

Answer 23

In scramble competition, all of the competing individuals get some of the resource

Question 24

Define predation

Answer 24

Predation is the catching, killing and eating of another organism

Question 25

What are some adaptations of predators

Answer 25

1. Hawks and other birds have excellent sight so they can locate prey

Question 26

What are some adaptations of prey

Answer 26

1. Rabbits have eyes on the side of their head to look out for predators

Question 27

Define Symbiosis

Answer 27

When 2 organisms live in close proximity and at least one of them benefits

Question 28

Define parasitism

Answer 28

Parasitism occurs when 2 organisms live in close proximity and one organism (the parasite) obtains its food from, and to the disadvantage of the second organism (the host)

Question 29

What affect human populations

Answer 29

1. War 2. Famine 3. Contraception 4. Disease

Question 30

Limitations to the pyramid of numbers

Answer 30

1. Doesn't account for size of animal 2. Hard to make pyramid scale to number of organism

Question 31

What is grazing food chain?

Answer 31

A grazing food chain is a sequence of organism in which one is eaten by the next member in the chain