Ecology Flashcards
What is ecology?
The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.
What are the 7 simplest levels of organization
Atom Molecule Organelle Cell Tissue Organ System
What are the levels of organization?
Organism, population, biological community, ecosystem, Biosphere
What is an organism?
An individual organism
What is a population?
A population is a group of the same species which live in the same space and the same time
What is a biological community?
All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time
What is an ecosystem?
Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with abiotic components.
What is a biosphere?
The portion of Earth that supports life
What is biomagnification?
When pollutants move up a food chain
What are the trophic levels?
Producers, Primary consumers, Secondary consumers, Tertiary consumers, and Quaternary
Why is energy lost in an energy pyramid?
- Energy is used for moment and growth
- Your body is inefficient at converting food into useful energy
- Unused material is excreted as waste
- Not everything can be digested
What is a habitat?
A habitat is an area with a particular combination of physical and biological environmental factors that affect which organisms live within it.
What are the tolerance levels?
Optimal zone- optimal conditions
Zone of stress- Reduced reproduction and lifespan
Zone of intolerance- an organism can’t survive
What are the kinds of competition?
Intraspecific- between members of the same species
Interspecific- between members of different species
(Intersect)
What is the Competitive Exclusion Principle?
No 2 species can have the same exact same niche in the exact same habitat and the exact same time
