Biological Interactions Flashcards

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1
Q

Ecology

A

The study of relationships between organisms and their environments.

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2
Q

Environment

A

The condition (biotic and abiotic) in which an organism lives.

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3
Q

Biosphere

A

The part of Earth the supports life.

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4
Q

Habitat

A

A specific location, with a particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions; where an organism normally lives.

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5
Q

Population

A

Number of individuals of a species living in a particular place at a particular time.

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6
Q

Community

A

All species that occupy a particular place at a given time.

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7
Q

Ecosystem

A

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

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8
Q

Niche

A

A species’s role and position in its environment; a species’s interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors of its environment.

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9
Q

Abiotic

A

The non-living physical factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive.

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10
Q

Producer

A

(Autotrophic) organism forming the base of all food chains; converts simple inorganic chemicals into complex organic molecules (food).

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11
Q

Consumer

A

Organism that eats other living organisms (or part of an organism) for nutrition.

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12
Q

Heterotroph

A

An organism that eats other living organisms.

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13
Q

Herbivore

A

Plant-eating organism.

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14
Q

Carnivore

A

Meat-eating organism.

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15
Q

Omnivore

A

An organism that can utilise a range of nutrients; both herbivores and carnivores.

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16
Q

Detritivore

A

An organism that feeds on detritus.

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17
Q

Decomposer

A

An organism (eg. bacteria and fungi) that utilises dead organisms or waste matter for its nutrients, releasing simple inorganic molecules.

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18
Q

Optimal Range

A

The level of an abiotic factor at which an organism will best survive.

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19
Q

Physiological Stress

A

The inability of an organism to function at maximum efficiency as a result of some factor.

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20
Q

Tolerance Range

A

The range of a particular abiotic factor within which organisms can survive.

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21
Q

Cryptic Organism

A

An organism that has the ability to avoid observation or detection by using camouflage, nocturnally, underground habitat, mimicry or any other method of concealment.

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22
Q

Intraspecific

A

Within a species; between individuals of the same species.

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23
Q

Interspecific

A

Between different species.

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24
Q

Predator

A

An organism that captures, kills and feeds on another animal.

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25
Q

Competition

A

Rivalry between individuals, of the same or different species, for a specific resource.

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26
Q

Symbiosis

A

A relationship in which two organisms live in close association over a long period of time.

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27
Q

Mutualism

A

Necessary and positive association between two organisms.

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28
Q

Cooperation

A

Association between (or within) species that benefits both but is not essential for survival of either.

29
Q

Commensalism

A

Relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other organism is not affected.

30
Q

Amensalation

A

A relationship in which one species is inhibited by another.

31
Q

Parasitism

A

Association between organisms in which one species (the parasite) is completely dependant upon the other (the host), which is usually harmed.

32
Q

Distribution

A

Regions in which a species is found.

33
Q

Abundance

A

Number (of a species) in a specific area at any time.

34
Q

Holdridge Life Zone System

A

A system of classifying areas of land, encompassing climate and ecological types.

35
Q

Plankton-Nekton Ecosystem

A

The ecosystem of the ocean surface consisting of nekton (free swimmers) and plankton (microscopic organisms).

36
Q

Nekton

A

Free-swimming organisms of surface waters.

37
Q

Benthic Ecosystem

A

The ecosystem at the lowest level of a body of water; includes the sediment surface and some subsurface layers.

38
Q

Littoral Zone

A

The zone between water and land, which may be affected by tidal action.

39
Q

Netric Zone

A

Shallow region of the ocean overlying the continental shelves.

40
Q

Abyssal Zone

A

Deep-water-zone (depth 4000-6000)

41
Q

Biome

A

The living organisms of a large area defined by its climate and dominant plant species (eg. a desert community).

42
Q

Vertical Stratification

A

The vertical arrangement of vegetation into layers (or strata), providing a variety of niches.

43
Q

Canopy

A

The upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns.

44
Q

MIcrohabitat

A

A small habitat that may be different from the surrounding larger habitat.

45
Q

Ecozone

A

A large area in which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time.

46
Q

Ecoregion

A

A subdivision of an ecozone; a geographically distinct community based on geology, soils, climate and predominant vegetation.

47
Q

Monoculture

A

A system that has very low diversity; in agriculture, it describes the practice of growing a single crop type.

48
Q

Species Richness

A

A measure of the number of species present and the evenness of species in relation to one another.

49
Q

Species Diversity

A

A measure of the number of species found in a community, compared with the number of individuals.

50
Q

Simpson’s Index (D)

A

The probability that two individuals randomly selected from a sample will belong to the same species (or genus or family etc).

51
Q

Simpson’s Diversity Index (SDI)

A

The probability that two individuals randomly selected from a sample will belong to different species (or groups).

52
Q

Zonation

A

The breaking of the biome into a habitat zones.

53
Q

Stratification

A

The division of the physical environment into smaller components for sampling.

54
Q

Random Sampling

A

A method of selecting a sample from a total array in such a way that every possible sample could be selected has an equal chance of being selected.

55
Q

Foliage Cover

A

An estimate of the area or percentage of a sample site occupied by the natural spread of plant foliage.

56
Q

Plot

A

An area under investigation- generally a subset of a larger area.

57
Q

Quadrat

A

A rectangular or square plot of known dimensions.

58
Q

Quadrant

A

Each of four quarters of a circle.

59
Q

Transect

A

A measured length or strip of terrain in an environment along which individual organisms or environmental parameters are measured and recorded.

60
Q

Belt Transect

A

An elongated area of known length and with through a particular environment in which specific community parameters are measured and recorded.

61
Q

Profile

A

A slope of the terrain, position and height of vegetation type, and canopy cover.

62
Q

Plan Sketch

A

An aerial view showing position and canopy cover of a species.

63
Q

Line Intercepts

A

A sampling technique used to estimate relative densities of a species by counting the number of individuals that lie on a straight line cutting through the community.

64
Q

Strip Census

A

An estimate of the numbers of a wild animals in an area by counting individuals along a typical strip and assuming a uniform position.

65
Q

Berlese-Tullgren Funnel

A

A device used to extract small animals from leaf litter.

66
Q

Pit-Fall Trap

A

A device used to trap small animals that are active on the ground surface.

67
Q

Capture-Recapture

A

A method of estimating population density of animals where animals are captured, marked and released; their proportion in subsequent trapping allows estimation of population size.

68
Q

Lincoln Index (N)

A

A method used to estimate the size of closed populations in which random samples of the population are captured, marked and released to mingle with the general population for a period of time before subsequent trapping.