Bio Final: ECOSYSTEM HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

Question 1

ecosystem

Answer 1

a community of different organisms (biotic or abiotic) interacting with each other and their environment

Question 2

Biotic

Answer 2

-living, aquatic or terrestrial

Question 3

Abiotic

Answer 3

-non living, temperature, air, pH, water, Climate

Question 4

Gaia

Answer 4

the planet as an ecosystem

Question 5

Ecology

Answer 5

the science of how organisms interact with each other and their environment

Question 6

globalization

Answer 6

connected by economy

Question 7

Ecosystem Characteristics

Answer 7

-habitat, ecological niche and range of tolerance

Question 8

Habitat (ecological characteristic)

Answer 8

physical space occupied by a species or population. “home range”

Question 9

Ecological Niche (ecological characteristic)

Answer 9

the physical location where a species lives and the role a species plays in a ecosystem
-ex) pollinator, predator, decomposer, prey

Question 10

Range of Tolerance (ecological characteristic)

Answer 10

limiting factors that regulate or control population growth. Ex) aquatic, terrestrial

Question 11

Aquatic Range of Tolerance

Answer 11

light penetration, water currents, dissolved O2, dissolved nutrients, temperature, pressure (depth)

Question 12

Terrestrial Range of Tolerance

Answer 12

sunlight, temperature, precipitation, wind, latitude, altitude, soil

Question 13

Components of an Ecosystem

Answer 13

species, population, community

Question 14

Species (components of an ecosystem)

Answer 14

groups of genetic similar organisms that can reproduce either asexually or sexually.

Question 15

asexual reproduction

Answer 15

bacteria

Question 16

sexual reproduction

Answer 16

genetic material from parents passed to offspring (genetic diversity: gene pool)

Question 17

Population (components of an ecosystem)

Answer 17

a group of interacting individuals of the same species that occupy a specific area= habitat: characteristics= size, age distribution, density(# of individuals per unit space) and genetic composition

Question 18

Community (components of an ecosystem)

Answer 18

a number of different populations living together in a specified habitat

Question 19

Food Chains/Food Webs/Food Pyramids

Answer 19

-autotrophs (producers), heterotrophs (consumers), Biotroph

Question 20

Autotrophs (food chain etc)

Answer 20

producers; organisms that produce their own food (nutrients) from the environment: plants (photosynthesis) or bacteria (chemosynthesis)

Question 21

Heterotrophs (food chain etc)

Answer 21

consumers; organisms that get their energy by feeding on other organisms (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, insectivores, scavengers, detritivores, decomposers)

Question 22

herbivores

Answer 22

feed on plants

Question 23

frugivores

Answer 23

feed on fruits (toucans)

Question 24

granivore

Answer 24

feed on seeds (kangaroo rats)

Question 25

pollinivore

Answer 25

feeds on plant pollen (plant eater)

Question 26

carnivore

Answer 26

feed on other consumers (polar bear, lion, great white shark)

Question 27

omnivore

Answer 27

feed on plants and animals (bears, humans)

Question 28

insectivore

Answer 28

feed on insects (bats)

Question 29

scavengers

Answer 29

feed on dead organisms (ravens, vultures)

Question 30

detritivores

Answer 30

feed on waste produced by other organisms

Question 31

decomposers

Answer 31

breakdown/recycle dead material (organic matter) nutrients=release of inorganic material into the soil and water as nutrients for producers (ex dung beetles: coprophagous, copronecrophagous or necrophagus)

Question 32

necromones

Answer 32

attracting odors

Question 33

Biotroph

Answer 33

nonlethal parasite

Question 34

necrotroph

Answer 34

parasitoid: kills or sterilizes the host; ultimately kills the host

Question 35

trophic levels

Answer 35

feeding level=producers or consumers ex) sunlight to plants (first tropic level; producers) to insects (secondary trophic level: primary consumers) to birds (third tropic level: secondary consumers) to coyotes (fourth trophic level: tertiary consumers) to detritivores/decomposers (all trophic levels)

Question 36

biomass

Answer 36

total available energy at each trophic level (organic and inorganic); amount of usable energy at each level declines