Ch 6 The Interactions of Life: Ecology Flashcards
what is ecology
the study of how living things react with their environment and each other
what is a habitat
the place where an organism lives
what is an ecosystem
all the communities interacting with each other an the environment
what is a biome
an ecosystem that extends of a very large area
what is the biosphere
all of the earths ecosystems together
what are the two types of factors that affect the plants and animals living in a habitat
- non living: e.g. temperature and land (abiotic)
2. living : e.g. types of organisms that live there (biotic)
what are the three most important abiotic factors
weather
soil
landscape
what are the three most important biotic factors
competition
predation
symbiosis
what is competition
the struggle between organisms for things that are in short supply
what is symbiosis
a relationship between organisms of different species where at least one benefits e.g. cleaner fish eats parasites out of eels mouth
what is interdependence
when two organisms depend on each other for an important aspect for survival e.g. flowers and bees
what is an adaptation
when an organism develops characteristics to make it more suited to its environment
what are the two types of adaptations
physical
behavioral
can you give an example of a behavioral adaptation
field mice are nocturnal and hunt at night to avoid being eaten by owls
what is a niche
the role of an organism within a habitat
