Definitions Flashcards
What is a habitat?
The habitat of an animal or plant is the part of the physical environment where it lives.
What is population?
A population is the number of individuals of a species in a defined area.
What is a community?
A community is the total number of individuals of all the different populations of organisms that live together in a habitat at any one time.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of different species living in a habitat.
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a physical environment with a particular set of conditions, plus all the organisms that live in it.
What are natural ecosystems?
Natural ecosystems are not man-made and they change over time.
Examples: lakes or native woodlands
What are artificial ecosystems?
Artificial ecosystems are man-made and carefully controlled to keep the conditions constant.
Examples: aquariums or forestry plantations
What is zonation?
Zonation is the gradual change in the species across a habitat usually as a result of changing abiotic (physical) factor.
What is photosynthesis?
The chemical change that occurs in the leaves of green plants. It uses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. Oxygen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis.
What is gaseous exchange?
The carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis diffuses in through the stomata. The oxygen produced by photosynthesis diffuses out.
What is diffusion?
The movement of a substance from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration.
What is osmosis?
The diffusion of water from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution through a partially permeable membrane.
