biosphere Flashcards
the part of the Earth’s crust (Lithosphere and geosphere),
waters (hydrosphere), and atmosphere that supports life.
The biosphere
What is the range of the biosphere?
between 500 meters below sea level up to 6 kilometers above sea level.
the study of the interactions of organisms (living things)
with each other and their environment.
ecology
“the study of home,”
ecology
Living things may be described as ________
biotic
Nonliving things are ________________
abiotic
the place where an organism lives
habitat
an organism’s job or role within their habitat.
niche`
a group of organisms of the same species that live together in a particular place at a particular time.
population
organisms of that can mate naturally and produce fertile offspring.
species
all the organisms (many populations) that live together in a particular area
community
“living together.”
symbiosis
What term describes the ways that
organisms in the same community may affect each other?
symbiotic relationships
both organisms benefit from the relationship
EX: cleaner fish works with a large fish to remove parasites
mutualism
one organism benefits from the relationship and the other is unharmed
EX: a bird builds a nest in a tree
Commensalism
one organism benefits and the other is harmed
EX: a flea bites a dog
parasitism
an organism that is hunting
predator
the
organism that is attacked
prey
a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey
predation
factors that limit the growth of a population and may even
cause it to decrease
limiting factors
trace the path of energy as it moved form one organism to the next in an
ecosystem
food chains
a system of several overlapping food chains that is a more
accurate description of the movement of energy through an ecosystem
food web
used to describe an organism’s place in a food chain
trophic levels
organisms that make their own food, generally by photosynthesis
EX: plants
autotrophs (producers)
organisms that eat only autotrophs
herbivores
organisms that eat both plants and animals
omnivores
organisms that only eat
meat
carnivores
consume mostly decaying biomass, such as rotting meat or plant
materials
EX: vultures
scavengers
consume smaller decaying biomass and return nutrients to the environment
EX: bacteria
decomposed
major land ecosystems defined by climate
biome
How many biomes?
9-20
Give three examples of a biome
desert, tropical forest, tundra
wise use of the environment by preserving, protecting, and
restoring habitats, biomes, flora, and fauna
conservation
plant, animal, or fungus species that is not native to a specific location
and has invaded the natural environment
invasive species
Name two invasive species.
bamboo and honeysuckle
plant, animal, or fungus species that occur naturally in the area
native species
the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop
over time
ecological succession
where living things move
into an area where no life previously existed,
primary succession
where ecosystems
grow and change in an area where there are living things.
secondary succession
