Unit 5

Question 1

ecology

Answer 1

study of interactions between organisms and their surroundings

Question 2

levels of organization

Answer 2

cell → tissue → organ → organ system → organism/species → population → community → ecosystem → biome → biosphere

Question 3

climate

Answer 3

average weather and what you would expect over a long period of time.

Question 4

weather

Answer 4

specific temperature and conditions for a specific day.

Question 5

greenhouse effect

Answer 5

Atmosphere traps in heat or solar radiation like a blanket to keep the planet warm

Question 6

primary producer

Answer 6

an organism found at the bottom of a food chain/web and they can make their own food

Question 7

Detritivore

Answer 7

chews or grinds detritus into smaller pieces, often eats decomposers in the process

Question 8

food chain

Answer 8

a linear sequence showing the transfer of energy and nutrients through different organisms in an ecosystem

Question 9

food web

Answer 9

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

Question 10

trophic level

Answer 10

Level of a food chain or food web (steps). Ex: grasshoppers in food chain

Question 11

10% rule

Answer 11

Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to another after consumption

Question 12

population

Answer 12

a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same geographical area and can interbreed

Question 13

population density

Answer 13

The number of individuals that can be found per unit area

Question 14

exponential growth

Answer 14

When a specific population increases rapidly over time

Question 15

logistic growth

Answer 15

population rapidly increases over the carrying capacity limit. After this, the given population continues to fluctuate up and down the carrying capacity as time continues.

Question 16

carrying capacity

Answer 16

The amount of a specific population a given environment can hold and remain steady.

Question 17

limiting factors

Answer 17

Factors that controls the growth of a population

Question 18

density dependent limiting factors

Answer 18

Limiting factors that operate strongly when the number of organisms per unit area reaches a certain level. An example could be a disease or amount of predators.

Question 19

density independent limiting factors

Answer 19

factors that affect all populations regardless of population size and density. An example of this would be natural disasters.

Question 20

habitat

Answer 20

the natural environment where an organism lives

Question 21

microhabitat

Answer 21

a specific, small-scale area within a larger habitat

Question 22

microbiomes

Answer 22

the complex community of microorganisms that inhabit a specific environment

Question 23

tolerance

Answer 23

an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce within a specific range of environmental conditions.

Question 24

niche

Answer 24

the role an organism plays in its ecosystem, encompassing how it interacts with both biotic and abiotic factors, and the resources it utilizes

Question 25

competitive exclusion principle

Answer 25

two species in the same habitat cannot occupy the same niche - one will outcompete the other

Question 26

keystone species

Answer 26

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend

Question 27

symbiosis

Answer 27

interaction between two different biological species

Question 28

commensalism

Answer 28

One species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. + 0

Question 29

mutualism

Answer 29

Both species benefit from the relationship. + +

Question 30

parasitism

Answer 30

One species (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other species (the host). + -

Question 31

ecological succession

Answer 31

process of how the species composition of an ecological community changes over time.

Question 32

primary succession

Answer 32

occurs on newly formed, previously barren land

Question 33

secondary succession

Answer 33

happens in areas where a pre-existing community has been disturbed but the soil remains.

Question 34

biodiversity

Answer 34

variety of life: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Question 35

sustainability

Answer 35

Meeting current needs without damaging the planet or specific resources

Question 36

renewable resources

Answer 36

replenish themselves naturally at a faster rate than they are used

Question 36

non renewable recources

Answer 36

finite and cannot be replenished on a human timescale

Question 37

conservation

Answer 37

preserving an object in its current condition

Question 38

restoration

Answer 38

aims to return an object to its original appearance or condition