Chapter 4/5/6 - Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
The study of the interactions between living things and between organisms and their environment
Biosphere
The part of the planet containing living organisms
Ecosystem
A group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit
Habitat
A place where a plant or animal lives
Population
All the members of the same species living in the same area
Community
All the different populations in an area
Niche
The functional role an organism plays in a community
Biotic factors
Living factors
Abiotic factors
Non living factors
Climatic factors
Weather over a long period of time
Edaphic factors
Factors relating to soil
Aquatic factors
Water related factors
Abiotic factors ex
Temperature, light intensity, altitude, aspect, steepness, exposure
Biotic factors ex
Food, competition, predation, human intervention, parasitism, pollination, seed dispersal
Edaphic factors ex
Soil type, soil pH, moisture content, humus
Climatic factors ex
Temperature, rainfall, light intensity, wind, humidity
Aquatic factors ex
Light, currents, wave action, salt concentration, oxygen concentration
Food chain
A sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next member in the chain
Producers
Organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis
Flora
All the plants in an ecosystem
Consumers
Organisms that take in food from another organism
Fauna
All the animals in an ecosystem
Trophic level
A feeding stage in a food chain
Food web
Consists of two or more interlinked food chains
Nutrient recycling
The way in which element (carbon and nitrogen) are exchanged between the living and non living components of an ecosystem
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen gas being converted to nitrates or ammonia
Nitrification
The conversion of ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates
Denitrification
The conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas
Pollution
Any harmful addition to the environment
Pollutant
Substance that causes pollution
Conservation
The wise management of the existing natural resources in an ecosystem, in order to maintain a wide range of habitats and prevent the death and extinction of organisms
Competition
Occurs when organisms actively struggle for a resource that is in short supply
Symbiosis
When two organisms of different species live close to one another and at least one benefits
Habitat
The place where a plant or an animal lives
Qualitative study
Records the presence or absence of organisms
Quantitative study
Records the numbers of organisms that are present
Adaptation
Any alteration that improves an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction
Key
Means of naming organisms by answering a series of questions with alternative answers
Percentage cover
An estimate of the amount of ground in a quadrat covered by each species
Frequency
The chance of finding a named species with any one throw of a quadrat
