Ecology

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

Ecology is the study of the interactions between living things (organisms) and between organisms and their environment

Question 2

Biosphere

Answer 2

The biosphere is that part of the planet containing living organisms

Question 3

Ecosystem

Answer 3

An ecosystem is a group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

A population is all the members of the sames species living in an area

Question 6

Community

Answer 6

A community is all the different populations in an area

Question 7

Abiotic Factors

Answer 7

Abiotic factors are non-living factors

Question 8

Biotic Factors

Answer 8

Biotic factors are living factors

Question 9

Climatic Factors

Answer 9

Climatic factors refer to weather over a long period of time

Question 10

Edaphic Factors

Answer 10

Edaphic factors relate to soil

Question 11

Producers

Answer 11

Producers are organisms that carry out photosynthesis

Question 12

Flora

Answer 12

Flora is all the plants in an ecosystem

Question 13

Consumers

Answer 13

Consumers are organisms that take in food from another organism

Question 14

Fauna

Answer 14

Fauna is all the animals in an ecosystem

Question 15

Decomposers

Answer 15

Decomposers are organisms that feed on dead organic matter

Question 16

Detritus Feeders

Answer 16

Detritus feeders are organisms that feed on small pieces of dead organic matter

Question 17

Food Chain

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Trophic Level

Answer 18

A trophic level is a feeding stage in a food chain

Question 19

Food Web

Answer 19

A food web consists of two or more interlinked food chains

Question 20

Pyramid of Numbers

Answer 20

A pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain

Question 21

Niche

Answer 21

The ecological niche of an organisms is the functional role it plays in the community

Question 22

Nutrient Recycling

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Nitrogen Fixation

Answer 23

Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, ammonium or nitrate

Question 24

Nitrification

Answer 24

Nitrification is the conversion of ammonia and ammonium compounds to nitrite and then to nitrate

Question 25

Denitrification

Answer 25

Denitrification is the conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas

Question 26

Pollution

Answer 26

Pollution is any harmful addition to the environment

Question 27

Pollutants

Answer 27

Pollutants are harmful additions to the environment

Question 28

Conservation

Answer 28

Conservation is the wise management of existing natural resources in an ecosystem, in order to maintain a wide range of habitats and prevent the death and extinction of organisms

Question 29

Competition

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Intra-Specific Competition

Answer 30

Intra-specific competition takes place between members of the same species

Question 31

Inter-Specific Competition

Answer 31

Inter-specific competition occurs between members of different species

Question 32

Contest Competition

Answer 32

In contest competition, there is an active physical contest between two individual organisms

Question 33

Scramble Competition

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Predation

Answer 34

Predation is the catching, killing and eating of another organism

Question 35

Predator

Answer 35

A predator is an organism that catches, kills and eats another organism

Question 36

Prey

Answer 36

The prey is the organism that is eaten by the predator

Question 37

Parasitism

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Symbiosis

Answer 38

Symbiosis occurs when two organisms of different species live (and have to live) in close association and at least one of them benefits