Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Science 10 > Ecology Test > Flashcards

Ecology Test Flashcards

(71 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Where is phosphorus found

A

Not stored in the atmosphere
Found in phosphates in rocks and sediments in the ocean floor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How do humans change nutrient cycles

A

Land clearing, agriculture, urban expansion, mining, industry, and motorized transportation can increase levels of nutrients quicker than stores can absorb

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Denitrification

A

Process of returning nitrogen to the atmosphere
Nitrates are converted back to N2 by denitrifying bacteria
N2 is also returned to the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Energy pyramid

A

Shows the movement of energy between trophic levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Effects of excess nutrients

A

Excess nutrients in the biosphere can become pollutants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Ocean processes

A

CO2 dissolves in cold water and sinks
Ocean currents flow to the tropics where water is rising and releases CO2
Process known as ocean mixing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Short-term and long-term store lengths

A

Hundred years vs thousands or millions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Bioaccumulation

A

Gradual buildup of chemicals in living organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Examples of surface water

A

Wetlands, lakes, spaces in soil, rivers, oceans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Long-term stores of carbon

A

Middle and lower ocean layers as dissolved co2, and in coal, oil, and gas deposits in land and ocean sediment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Food chains

A

Reflect direct feeding relationships between trophic levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What drives the water cycle?

A

Solar energy and gravity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Detritivores

A

Consume the dead bodies of plants and animals, as well as animal feces that they are breaking down
Ex. crabs and flies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Native vs introduced species

A

Native species are plants and animals that naturally inhabit an area
Introduced species were brought by immigrants to NA
Many are harmless or even beneficial
Invasive species are those that are not native to the ecosystem and cause harm to the environment, economy, or society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Geological uplift

A

Exposes rock to chemical and phyiscal weathering

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Food web

A

Connect all organisms and all feeding relationship

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Biotic factors

A

Dead and living organisms in an ecosystem and their interactions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Commensalism

A

One species benefits while the other is unaffected
Ex. clownfish gets a home in an unaffected sea anemone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Omnivoires

A

Eat both producers and consumers
Ex. most humans, dogs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Spheres of the Earth

A

Atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

Moves water back to the atmosphere from plant transpiration and evaporation from the land and ocean surface

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Transpiration

A

Process where water is absorbed by the roots of plants, and is carried by the plant and lost as water vapour through small pores in the leaves (stomata)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Herbivore

A

Primary consumers that eat producers
Ex. deer, vegans
Zooplankton eat phytoplankton and each other
Ex. Krill

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Nitrification

A

Happens when nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium into nitrates (NO3)
Ammonium is first converted to nitrite (NO2), which is then converted to nitrate
Nitrates enter plants through uptake

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Weathering
Releasing phosphates from rock Chemical weathering from acid rain Physical weathering from wind, water, and freezing Weathering does not happen unless there is geological uplift
26
Blue-listed species
Relatively common but are considered vulnerable
27
Carnivores
Eat other consumers only Ex. lion, shark, polar bear
28
Cellular respiration
Carbs release energy for most organisms C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy in the form of ATP Energy is used for growth, repair, and most life processes
29
Why is bioaccumulation bad
Many harmful chemicals cannot be decomposed naturally These chemicals can be eaten or absorbed, and sometimes cannot be removed from the body of the organism effectively
30
Project Drawdown solution
Onshore wind turbines Able to compete in price with coal and gas in some areas One of the cheapest forms of clean energy One average turbine is enough to power 400-600 average Canadian homes
31
Threatened
A wildlife species likely to become extinct if limiting factors are not reversed 196 species
32
Mutualism
Both species benefit Ex. bacteria in the intestine break down food to release minerals and produce vitamins, while we provide food and habitat
33
Photosynthesis
Carbon from the atmosphere is turned into glucose by plants CO2 + H20 + sunlight --> C6H12O6 (glucose) + O2 Most oxygen production is from phytoplankton and algae that can photosynthesize
34
Impacts of bioaccumulation
If a keystone species (a vital part of an ecosystem) suffers from chemical bioaccumulation, it can affect every other organism Ex. sea stars as a top predator Ex. PCB bioaccumulation in orcas will affect the reproductive cycle until 2030, even though they were banned in 1977
35
Extinct
A wildlife species that no longer exits 23 species in Canada
36
Ecosystem
ALL of the communities and the physical environment they live in Ex. Mount Tolmie = Garry Oak ecosystem
37
Biodiversity
Variety of life on Earth at all levels The species of animals, plants, and microorganisms, and the different ecosystems are all part of a biodiverse Earth Biodiversity boosts ecosystem stability and productivity
38
Decomposers
Break down once-living organisms into essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate, carbon, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and iron
39
Extirpated
A wildlife species no longer existing in the wild in Canada but occurring elsewhere 22 species
40
Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is important for the structure of DNA and proteins Largest store is in the atmosphere as N2 Also stored in oceans and as organic matter in soil
41
Scavengers
Feed on already dead animals Ex. vultures
42
Parasitism
The parasite benefits, and the host is harmed Ex. tapeworm gets nutrients from a human host, who is harmed
43
Symbiosis
A symbiotic relationship between 2 different species
44
Population
ALL the organisms of the same species (can reproduce successfully) that SHARE the same habitat Ex. bullfrogs in Elk Lake
45
Parts per million (PPM)
Parts per million molecules of air
46
Contaminants that can bioaccumulate
PCBs, DDT, lead, cadmium, mercury
47
Greenhouse effect
CO2 levels increasing, methane levels increasing, nitrous oxide, ozone, and halocarbons all contribute to an increase of greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases block the sun's heat from exiting Burning fossil fuels, agriculture and production/transportation of consumer products lead to those gases
48
Abiotic factors
Non-living physical and chemical components and their processes Ex. sunlight, fire, air, rocks, precipitation
49
Endangered
A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation or extinction 371 species
50
Bioaccumulation affects on trophic level
When the consumer in the next level eats organisms with bioaccumulation, it gets a dose of the chemicals
51
Biodegration
Process by which microorganisms break down organic matter
52
Predator-prey cycle
Relationship where the predator consumes all or part of another species (the prey) When the population of prey is high, the predator population is as well When the prey population drops, the predator does too
53
How do introduced/invasive species harm ecosystems
They displace native species and organisms that depend on them, reducing native biodiversity If an invasive species is a predator, it may have a large advantage as native species may have no method to survive Some invasive species can change the physical structure of an ecosystem by blocking sunlight
54
Community
ALL the populations in the given area or habitat Ex. Goldstream Park with the salmon, insects, birds, bacteria, etc.
55
Producer
Organisms that make their own food/energy through photosynthesis Ex. plants, algae
56
Phosphorus cycle
Phosphorus is essential for life processes Used in the form of phosphate (PO4) in life Part of ATP as well as DNA and RNA
57
Impact of invasive species
May have no natural predators, be competitors to native species, and reproduce quickly
58
Volcanic eruptions and fires
Both release CO2, methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide
59
Decomposition
Decomposers break down cellulose into glucose
60
Impacts of bioaccumulation at different trophic levels
Mercury bioaccumulates in fish, and humans and other predators consume fish Red tide can bioaccumulate in oysters, which humans eat
61
Organism
Living beings 1) bacteria Prokaryotes have no nucleus (single-celled) Eurokaryotes have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles 2) Protista Unicellular, some colonies, small Ex. giant kelp 3) Fungi Multicellular, decomposers 4) Plantae Multicellular, most are photosynthetic 5) Animalia Multicellular, consumers
62
Short-term stores of carbon
Aquatic and terrestrial organisms, co2 in the atmosphere, and in the top layers of the ocean
63
Red-listed species
Species at the highest risk of extinction
64
Types of carbon
Carbohydrates or sugar - used for energy Protein - used for structure and muscles Lipids or fats - long term energy and hormones Nucleic acids - DNA and RNA
65
Consumer
Eat other living organisms
66
Trophic levels
Energy from sun goes to each level of the pyramid, with 10% lost from each jump Producers (ex. phytoplankton) --> primary consumer (ex. crustaceans) --> secondary consumer (fish) --> tertiary consumer (humans)
67
Eutrophication
Nitrogen runoff from fertilizers enters surface water Causes growth in algae creating eutrophication Alage blooms use up the dissolved O2 and block sunlight
68
Niche
The role that an organism plays in an ecosystem which includes the food consumed, what consumes the organism, and the specifics of the habitat that they live in
69
Processes that cycle all the water on Earth
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation
70
Nitrogen fixation
Conversion of N2 gas into compounds with nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4) In the atmosphere, lightning provides the energy for N2 gas to react with O2 to form nitrogen and ammonium ions In the soil, nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert N2 gas into ammonium ions (ex. Rhizobium), these bacteria can be found on the roots of legumes like peas In the water, species of cyanobacteria also convert N2 gas into ammonium during photosynthesis
71
How is carbon cycled
Photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition, ocean processes, and volcanic eruptions

Science 10 (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions