Ecology

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

The study of the interaction between organisms and their environment

Question 2

Ecosystem

Answer 2

A community of organisms interacting with their environment

Question 3

Biosphere

Answer 3

The part of earth where organisms exist

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

The place where an organism lives

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

All the members of the same species living in an area

Question 6

Community

Answer 6

All the different populations in an area

Question 7

Niche

Answer 7

The role an organism plays in its community

Question 8

Abiotic Factors

Answer 8

Non living factors in an environment eg. Altitude

Question 9

Biotic Factors

Answer 9

Living factors in an environment eg. Predation

Question 10

Climatic Factors

Answer 10

Relates to weather conditions over a long period of time

Question 11

Edaphic Factors

Answer 11

Relates to soil eg. soil pH

Question 12

Producers

Answer 12

Organisms that carry out photosynthesis to make their own food

Question 12

Consumers

Answer 12

Organisms that take in food from other organisms

Question 13

Primary Consumers

Answer 13

Feed on producers

Question 14

Secondary Consumers

Answer 14

Animals/ organisms that feed on primary consumers

Question 15

Tertiary Consumers

Answer 15

Feed on secondary consumers- top of food chain

Question 16

Food Chain

Answer 16

A sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next in the chain

Question 17

Food Web

Answer 17

Consists of two or more interlinked food chains

Question 18

Trophic Level

Answer 18

The feeding level of an organism in a food chain

Question 19

Pyramid of numbers

Answer 19

Represents the number of organisms at each trophic level of a food chain

Question 20

Nutrient recycling

Answer 20

The way in which elements such as carbon and nitrogen are exchanged between living and non living ecosystems

Question 21

Nitrification

Answer 21

The process by which bacteria in soil and water oxidise ammonia and ammonium ions and form nitrites and nitrates

Question 22

Denitrification

Answer 22

Process of converting nitrogen compounds eg. nitrate into gaseous forms like nitrogen oxides and nitrogen gas

Question 23

Pollution

Answer 23

The addition of harmful substances to the environment by human activity

Question 24

Conservation

Answer 24

The wise management of our environment in order to maintain populations and their habitats

Question 25

intraspecific competition

Answer 25

members of the same species competing for a scarce resource

Question 26

interspecific competition

Answer 26

different species competing for the scarce resources

Question 27

contest competition

Answer 27

an active physical confrontation between two organisms where only one wins the resource

Question 28

Scramble competition

Answer 28

Many organisms trying to acquire as much of the resource as possible where many get some of it

Question 29

Adaptations

Answer 29

ways in which organisms are specialised in either behaviour or structure to survive competition

Question 30

predation

Answer 30

the catching and killing of another organism for food

Question 31

parasitism

Answer 31

a relationship between two organisms in which one lives in/on another obtaining nutrients from it and harming it

Question 32

ecto/endoparasites

Answer 32

lives outside organism

Question 33

symboisis

Answer 33

two organisms of different species live in close association and at least one benefits

Question 34

saprophytes

Answer 34

organisms that feed off of dead/ decaying material

Question 35

quantitative study

Answer 35

numbers of each species in a habitat

Question 36

percentage frequency

Answer 36

no quadrats containing over no quadrats thrown

Question 37

percentage cover

Answer 37

no of hits over total number of points on the quadrat

Question 38

commensalism

Answer 38

one species benefits without the relationship benefitting or harming the other species eg. cattle egrets eat insects stirred up by cattle when they graze

Question 39

population density

Answer 39

measurement of the numbers of a species over a stated area

Question 40

benefits of conservation

Answer 40

existing environments are maintained, pollution and its affects are reduced, endangered species preserved for reproduction

Question 41

waste management

Answer 41

the collection, transport, processing, recycling, or disposal of waste materials produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce impact of waste on aesthetics, health