Biology B7 Ecology Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
the interaction between a community of living organisms and non-living features of an environment
What is a community
an interacting group of different species living in the same habitat
What is a population
all the individuals of one species living in the same habitat
What is a Niche
A specific role an organism plays in an ecosystem
What is Biodiversity
All kinds of life forms found in an area, variety of animals, plants
What is the difference between an abiotic and biotic factor
Abiotic is non-living like temperature, Biotic is living like animals
give examples of an abiotic element and a biotic element
Abiotic element example: temperature
Biotic element example: availability of food
What is a transect
- a line across a habitat or part of a habitat
- measures the number of organisms of each species along the transect
What is a kite diagram
a kite diagram is a chart that shows the number of animals (or percentage cover for plants) against distance along a transect.
How to use quadrat
- Use random numbers to generate coordinates within the grid
- then place the quadrat at the coordinates
- then count the number of each species in the quadrat to find an estimate
What is classification
the processof grouping living organisms.
What is a habitat
Where an animal or plant lives
What tool is used to collect organisms
Sweep nets and pitfall traps
What is a pyramid of biomass
It shows the mass of the organisms at each trophic level
Effiency, energy supplied input and energy used for growth output equation
effiency= energy used for growth(output)/energy supplied (input)
what is an adaptation
The ability of living organisms to adjust themselves to their surroundings.
Why do penguins huddle up together
- to share body warmth and to conserve energy
What is a structural adaptation
physical features of an organism that helps it survive
What is a physiological adaptation
processes which allow them to defend against predators or to attack prey
what is a behavioural adaptation
behaviours which give them an advantage to survive
Exam question: the sand gazelle feeds only at dawn or dusk or stays in the shade, how does it conserve water.
It stays cool in the shade which makes the gazelle less sweaty
what is a stable community
a community where all species and environmental factors are balanced so that the population is constant
