Key Terms & Concepts Ecology

Question 1

Ecosystem

Answer 1

All the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment.

Question 2

Biodiversity

Answer 2

the number and variety of life forms; including species, ecosystem and genetic, found within a specific region.

Question 3

Niche

Answer 3

A subset of habitat where only a particular species lives.

Question 4

Community

Answer 4

all the populations of the different species that interact in a specific habitat or ecosystem.

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time.

Question 6

Species

Answer 6

a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce a fertile offspring.

Question 7

Food chain

Answer 7

the order of events in an ecosystem, where one thing eats another

Question 8

Food web

Answer 8

all of the food chain in an ecosystem or a system of interlocking and independent food chains.

Question 9

Tropic level

Answer 9

a category of organisms that is defined by how the organism gains their energy.

Question 10

Producer

Answer 10

something that creates its own energy and food.

Question 11

Consumer

Answer 11

an organism that obtains energy by consuming another organism.

Question 12

Décomposer

Answer 12

something that has the ability to break down dead organisms into smaller particles and create kew compounds.

Question 13

Photosynthesis

Answer 13

a process that runs solar energy into chemical energy.
Formula: light energy+6CO2+6H2O=C6H12O6 +6O2
Formula: light energy + carbon dioxide+water=glucose +oxygen

Question 14

Cellular respiration

Answer 14

a process that releases energy from organic molecules, like carbohydrates in the presence of oxygen.
Formula: C6H12O6+ 6O2=6CO2+6H2O+energy
Formula: Glucose + oxygen = carbon dioxide + water + energy

Question 15

Carbon cycle

Answer 15

A nutrient cycle that goes through the atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere

Question 16

Nitrogen cycle

Answer 16

A nutrient cycle that goes through the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere.

Question 17

Water cycle

Answer 17

A nutrient cycle that goes through the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.

Question 18

Phosphorus cycle

Answer 18

A nutrient cycle that goes through the lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere.

Question 19

Ecological succession

Answer 19

the process by which the mix of species and habitat in an area that changes over time.

Question 20

Biosphere

Answer 20

The parts of the earth where living things can exist.

Question 21

Lithosphere

Answer 21

The hard part of earths surface.

Question 22

Hydrosphere

Answer 22

All the water found on earth.

Question 23

Atmosphere

Answer 23

The layer of gases above earths surface.

Question 24

Competition

Answer 24

occurs when two or more organisms compete for a resource

Question 25

Mutualism

Answer 25

a symbiotic relationship between two organisms in which both benefit from the relationship.

Question 26

Parasitism

Answer 26

a relationship between two organisms in which one benefits at the expense of the other without, occasionally without killing off the organism.

Question 27

Commensalism

Answer 27

a relationship where one organism benefits without harming the other organism.

Question 28

Symbiosis

Answer 28

is a relationship between two organisms that are in close association.

Question 29

Keystone species

Answer 29

species that are so abundant that they have the biggest biomass of any community.

Question 30

Invasive species

Answer 30

a species that can take over the habitat of native species.

Question 31

Ecological ncihe

Answer 31

the way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors.

Question 32

Ecological footprint

Answer 32

represents the demand made on the ecosystem and natural resources

Question 33

Global warming

Answer 33

is the long term warming of the planet's overall temperature.

Question 34

Renewable energy

Answer 34

energy for a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind, or solar energy.

Question 35

Non-renewable energy

Answer 35

energy that comes from sources that will run out or will not be repleted in the near future.

Question 36

Energy conservation

Answer 36

the prevention of the wasteful use of energy and to ensure its continued availability.

Question 37

Energy conservation

Answer 37

the prevention of the wasteful use of energy and to ensure its continued availability.

Question 38

Sustainability

Answer 38

use of earth resources, including lands and water, at a level that can continue forever.

Question 39

Greenhouse effect

Answer 39

the warming of the earth as a result of greenhouse gases, which trap some of the energy that would otherwise leave earth.

Question 40

Ozone depletion

Answer 40

is the thinning of ozone in the ozone layer.

Question 41

Deforestation

Answer 41

the practice of clearing forests for logging and not replanting them.

Question 42

Overfishing

Answer 42

fishing for human uses and never in large quantities faster than fish can reproduce.

Question 43

Pollution

Answer 43

the presence or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.

Question 44

Acid rain

Answer 44

rain, snow, or fog that is unnaturally acidic due to gases in the atmosphere that react with water and from acidic rain.

Question 45

Eutrophication

Answer 45

a process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase, leading to an increase in the populations of primary producers.

Question 46

Conservation

Answer 46

the preservation of natural and environment and ecosystems and the things they inhabit.

Question 47

Restoration

Answer 47

accelerate or recreate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been disturbed.

Question 48

Wetland

Answer 48

an area of land over which the run-off drains into a body of water.

Question 49

Desertification

Answer 49

the change of non-desert land into a desert; desertification may result from climate change and unsustainable farming or water use.

Question 50

Ecosystem engineer

Answer 50

Is something that can create, modify or destroy a habitat.