Ecology Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is ecology?
The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environment.
What is a species?
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
What is a population?
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.
What is a community?
Different populations that belong to the same species and live in the same area.
What is an ecosystem?
All of the organisms that live in a place together with their physical environment,
What is a biome?
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
What is a biosphere?
All life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists. (Land, Water, The atmosphere)
How far does the biosphere extend?
Extends from 8 kilometers above Earths surface to 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean.
What is Biotic? Examples?
A biotic factor is any living part of the environment with which organisms might interact. (Animals, Plants, Mushrooms, Bacteria, Biological Influences on organisms)
What is Abiotic? Examples?
Non living part of the environment. Sunlight heat water currents soil type precipitation Humidity and Wind.
What are the three ecological methods?
Observation, Experimentation, and Modeling
what do organisms need energy for?
Growth, reproduction, and their own metabolic processes
How can organisms get energy and what can they not do?
They can’t create energy. They can only get energy from other sources,
What are the two types of energy?
Sunlight (Thermal) the ultimate
Chemical also a good source.
What are autotrophs? How do they feed themselves? How do they store organic molecules?
Use solar energy to make organic molecules from inorganic compounds.
They use organic molecules to feed themselves.
They store the organic molecules in forms that make it avaliable to other organisms that eat them.
Examples of Primary Producers
Plants, Microscopic Organisms, Algae,
What are the two types of autotrophs?
Energy from photosynthesis
Energy from chemosynthesis
What does the biogeochemical cycle involve? and what is it
Biolgical process, GEological cycle, Chemical Process, and Human Activity. As matter moves through these cycles it is transformed but never created or destroyed.
What is biological processes? Examples…
Any and all activities performed by living organisms» Eating, Breathing, Metabolism “Burning food”, Eliminating waste products.
Geological Processes? Examples..
Volcanic Eruptions, formation and breakdown or rocks, Major movements of matter withing and below the Earth (earthquakes)
Human Activity?
Mining and burning of fossil fuels
The clearing of land
The burning of forests
Manefactyre and use of fertilizers.
Chemical/Phys processes
Formation of clouds
The flow of running water
The action of lightening
what is denitrification?
Other bacteria obtain energy by converting nitrates back into nitrogen gas which is then rekeased into the atmosphere
what is weather?
the day to day conditions of earths atmosphere
