Unit 1 Ecology

Question 1

biotic

Answer 1

living parts; animals and plants

Question 2

abiotic

Answer 2

non living parts like rocks; water etc

Question 3

species

Answer 3

population whose members have the potential to produce viable offspring

Question 4

population

Answer 4

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area

Question 5

community

Answer 5

different populations living in one area

Question 6

ecosystems

Answer 6

All of the abiotic factors in addition to the community of species that exists in a certain area; multiple ecosystems in a biome

Question 7

biome

Answer 7

major geographic regions that encompass multiple ecosystems; deciduous forest, coniferous forest etc

Question 8

producers/autotrophs

Answer 8

makes their own food and supports other in an ecosystem

Question 9

consumers/heterotrophs

Answer 9

eat other producers and consumers to obtain energy

Question 10

primary consumer

Answer 10

usually classified as Herbuvores bc their main source of nutrition are plants

Question 11

secondary consumer

Answer 11

can be classified as carnivores (only eat other consumers) and/or omnivores (eat consumers and producers)

Question 12

tertiary consumers

Answer 12

the highest of the food chain; can be classified as carnivores (only eat other consumers) and/or omnivores (eat consumers and producers)

Question 13

Decomposers(Saprophytes):

Answer 13

absorb nutrients from non-living organic materials such as corpses, fallen plant material, and the wastes of living organisms, and convert them into inorganic forms.

Question 14

detrivores

Answer 14

similar to decomposers but they feed off of dead matter; not just absorb the nutrients

Question 15

food web

Answer 15

the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

Question 16

niche

Answer 16

the role or function of an organism or a species within an ecosystem

Question 17

trophic levels

Answer 17

producers and consumers are separated on the ecological pyramid based on their main source of nutrition

Question 18

ecological pyramid (energy)

Answer 18

the multiplicative loss of energy in an ecological system; the higher you go up, the less energy

Question 19

ecological pyramid (numbers)

Answer 19

measures population size

Question 20

ecological pyramid (biomass)

Answer 20

measures the amount of organic material in each trophic level

Question 21

carbon/oxygen cycle

Answer 21

The relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the biosphere leads to most sources of release and storage of carbon;

Question 22

nitrogen cycle

Answer 22

an essential component of nucleic acids and proteins; Nitrogen gas (N2 ) is converted into usable forms via two pathways
Atmospheric deposition
Nitrogen Fixation via Nitrogen fixing bacteria

Question 23

phosphorus cycle

Answer 23

Phosphorus is a major component of many important biomolecules such as nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP

Question 24

symbiosis

Answer 24

close association between two species one being a host and the other being a symbiont.

Question 25

commensalism

Answer 25

one party benefits without significantly affecting the other; birds nest and a tree

Question 26

parasitism

Answer 26

a parasite harms the other party: mosquito and its host

Question 27

mutualism

Answer 27

both parties benefit; nitrogen fixing bacteria and the roots it lives in

Question 29

phosphorus cycle

Answer 29

Phosphorus is a major component of many important biomolecules such as nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP

Question 30

symbiosis

Answer 30

close association between two species one being a host and the other being a symbiont.

Question 31

commensalism

Answer 31

one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. A bird’s nest and a tree

Question 32

parasitism

Answer 32

one organism (the parasite) harms the host . Mosquito and its host

Question 33

mutualism

Answer 33

both partners benefit from the relationship. nitrogen fixing bacteria and the roots it lives in

Question 34

types of predation

Answer 34

Parasitism: predators that live on or in their hosts. Parasitoidism:insects laying eggs on the larva of other insects. Herbivory:consumers eating plants Carnivory:consumers eating other consumers

Question 35

competitive exclusion principle

Answer 35

two species with similar needs for the same limiting resources cannot exist in the same place.

Question 36

exponential growth-j curve

Answer 36

predicts unlimited population increase under conditions of unlimited resource

Question 37

lag phase

Answer 37

Population growth begins slowly with a small population

Question 38

log phase

Answer 38

population growth is exponential as long as conditions are ideal

Question 39

Thomas Malthus iron law

Answer 39

population grows exponentially and resources grow linearly (eventually run out)

Question 40

Logistic Growth-S curve

Answer 40

population growth that starts with a slow initial phase, then rapidly increases, and eventually levels off at a maximum limit; many limiting factors prevent a population from reaching its biotic potential

Question 41

predator prey curve

Answer 41

The populations of predator and prey directly influence each other; meaning a change in one population directly affects the size of the other population,

Question 42

carrying capacity

Answer 42

the biotic and abiotic factors determine the number of individuals from a population which the ecosystem can maintain and support

Question 43

flux

Answer 43

when the population exceeds the carrying capacity

Question 44

interspecific competition

Answer 44

competition between opposing species for resources

Question 45

intraspecific competition

Answer 45

competition within the same species

Question 46

r-selected organisms

Answer 46

found in high Variable areas; fast development; short lived and many offspring

Question 47

K-selected organisms

Answer 47

slow development; long lived; not many offspring (humans are k selected)

Question 48

natality

Answer 48

number of offspring produced in a certain period of time

Question 49

mortality

Answer 49

the number of individuals that die off in a certain period of time

Question 50

immigration

Answer 50

individuals of one species entering a non-native ecological system over a period of time

Question 51

emigration

Answer 51

Individuals of one species leaving their native ecological system over a period of time

Question 52

invasive species

Answer 52

human introduced and non native; has negative impacts due to a lack of density dependent limiting factors.

Question 53

edge effect

Answer 53

changes to the abiotic and biotic factors at the boundary of two habitats.

Question 54

biomagnification

Answer 54

retained substances which become more concentrated with each link in the food chain.

Question 55

biodiversity

Answer 55

the relative concentration of species in a given area High biodiversity is associated with overall ecology system health

Question 56

extinction

Answer 56

local: the loss of a species from a specific area Ecological: the loss of a species niche within an ecosystem biological: the complete loss of a species in the biosphere

Question 57

species vs population

Answer 57

A species is a certain unique type or organism in the entire biosphere, while a population is all of the members of a species in one ecosystem or area