Ecology Test

Question 1

ecology

Answer 1

the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment, or surroundings

Question 2

biosphere

Answer 2

the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists, including land, water, and air

Question 3

How do ecologists understand relationships within the biosphere?

Answer 3

they ask questions about events and organisms that range in complexity from a single individual to the entire biosphere

Question 4

species

Answer 4

a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring

Question 5

populations

Answer 5

groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Question 6

communities

Answer 6

assemblages of different populations that live together in a defined area

Question 7

ecosystem

Answer 7

a collection of all organisms that live in a particular place together with their nonliving environment

Question 8

biome

Answer 8

a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

Question 9

What do scientists use to conduct modern ecological research?

Answer 9

three basic approaches: observing, experimenting, and modeling. All of these approaches rely on the application of scientific methods to guide ecological inquiry.

Question 10

sunlight

Answer 10

the main energy source for life on earth

Question 11

what do organisms who don’t obtain their energy from sunlight use?

Answer 11

they rely on the energy stored in inorganic chemical compounds

Question 12

autotrophs

Answer 12

plants, some algae, and certain bacteria. They can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use that energy to produce food

Question 13

producers

Answer 13

make their own food

Question 14

photosynthesis

Answer 14

carbon dioxide + Water, (light energy) = carbohydrates + oxygen
6CO2 + 6H2O , (light energy) = 6CH12O6 + 6O2

Question 15

chemosynthesis

Answer 15

when organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

Question 16

heterotrophs/consumers

Answer 16

organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply

Question 17

herbivores

Answer 17

obtain energy by only eating plants

Question 18

carnivores

Answer 18

obtain energy by eating meat/animals

Question 19

omnivores

Answer 19

eat both plants and animals

Question 20

detritivores

Answer 20

feed on plant and animal remains and other dead animal matter, called detritus

Question 21

how does energy flow through an ecosystem?

Answer 21

in one direction, from the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs (producers) and then to various heterotrophs (consumers)

Question 22

food chain

Answer 22

a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

Question 23

food web

Answer 23

links all the food chains in an ecosystem together

Question 24

trophic level

Answer 24

each step in a food chain or food web

Question 25

ecological pyramid

Answer 25

a diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained in each trophic level in a food chain or web

Question 26

how much energy is available at each trophic level?

Answer 26

only 10 percent is transferred to organisms at the next level

Question 27

biomass

Answer 27

the total amount of living tissue within each given trophic level

Question 28

pyramid of numbers

Answer 28

shows the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level

Question 29

biome

Answer 29

a complex of terrestrial communities that covers a large area and is characterized by certain soil and climate conditions and particular assemblages of plants and animals

Question 30

tolerance

Answer 30

ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimal conditions

Question 31

microclimate

Answer 31

the climate in a small area that differs from the climate around it

Question 32

what are the major biomes?

Answer 32

tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temparate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest, and tundra.

Question 33

what defines a biome?

Answer 33

a unique set of abiotic factors-particularly climate-and a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals

Question 34

canopy

Answer 34

dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall trees

Question 35

understory

Answer 35

layer of shorter leaves and vines

Question 36

deciduous

Answer 36

a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year

Question 37

coniferous

Answer 37

trees that produce seed-bearing cones, and most have leaves shaped like needles

Question 38

humus

Answer 38

a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter that makes soil fertile

Question 39

taiga

Answer 39

another name for a boreal forest

Question 40

permafrost

Answer 40

a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

Question 41

wetland

Answer 41

an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year

Question 42

estuaries

Answer 42

wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea

Question 43

photic zone

Answer 43

well lit upper layer of the ocean wear photosynthesis takes place

Question 44

aphotic zone

Answer 44

below the photic zone and is permanently dark

Question 45

besides the photic and aphotic zones, how do marine biologists divide the ocean into zones?

Answer 45

based on depth and distance from shore: the intertidal zone, the coastal ocean, and the open ocean

Question 46

benthic zone

Answer 46

the ocean floor

Question 47

tragedy of the commons

Answer 47

the idea that any resource, such as water in the ground or fish in the sea, that is free and accessible to everyone, may eventually be destroyed

Question 48

how are environmental goods and services classified?

Answer 48

as either renewable or nonrenewable

Question 49

renewable resource

Answer 49

can regenerate if they are alive or can be replaced by biochemical cycles if they are nonliving

Question 50

nonrenewable resource

Answer 50

one that cannot be replenished by natural processes

Question 51

sustainable development

Answer 51

a way of using natural resources without depleting them and of providing for human needs without causing longterm environmental harm

Question 52

what can human activities affect?

Answer 52

the quality and supply of renewable resources such as land, forests, fisheries, air, and freshwater

Question 53

soil erosion

Answer 53

the wearing away of surface soil by water and wind

Question 54

desertification

Answer 54

a combination of farming, overgrazing, and drought has turned once productive areas into deserts

Question 55

deforestation

Answer 55

loss of forests

Question 56

aquaculutre

Answer 56

the raising of aquatic animals for human consumption

Question 57

smog

Answer 57

a mixture of chemicals that occurs as a gray-brown haze in the atmosphere

Question 58

pollutant

Answer 58

a harmful material that can enter the biosphere through the land, air, or water