Ecology Flashcards
define habitat
a place where the organism lives
define population
all the organisms of one species living in a habitat
define community
the populations of different species living in a habitat
what are abiotic factors?
non-living factors of the environment, eg temperature
what are bioitc factors?
living factors of the environment eg food
define ecosystem
the interaction of a community of living organisms ( bioitc) with the non-living (abioitc) parts of their environment
what do plants need from their environment in order to survive and reproduce?
light, space, water and mineral ions from the soil
what do animals need from their environment and other organisms in order to reproduce?
space ( territory), food, water and mates
what do organisms compete with other species for?
the same resources
what is the concept of interdependence?
when each species in a community depends on the other species for things such as food, shelter, pollination, and seed dispersal
why does any major change in an eco-system have far reaching effects?
because of interdependence
name 7 abiotic factors
- moisture level
- light intensity
- temperature
- carbon dioxide level
- wind intensity and direction
- oxygen level
- soil ph and mineral content
describe the impact of an increase of decrease of an abiotic factor?
these changes could affect the size of populations in a community, and therefore affect the population size of other organisms that depend on them
what impact may a decrease in light intensity, temperature or carbon dioxide have within an eco-system?
it could affect plant growth, and this could cause a decrease in the population size
what could a decrease in the mineral content of the soil lead to?
nutrient deficiencies, which could then affect plant growth and cause a decrease in the population size
name 4 biotic factors
- new predators
- competition between species
- new pathogens
- avaliability of food
what are structural adaptations?
features of an organisms body structure such as shape or colour
what is the structural adaptations of an artic fox?
they have white fur so they are camouflaged against the snow, this helps them avoid predators and sneak up on prey
what structural adaptaions do whales have?
they have a thick layer of blubber and a low surface area to volume ration to help them retain heat
what structural adaptations do animals that live in hot places have?
they have a thin layer of fat and a large surface area to volume ration to help them lose heat
what are behavioural adaptations? give some examples ;)
ways that organisms behave - many species migrate to warmer climates during the winter to avoid the problems of living in cold conditions
what are functional adaptations?
things that go on inside an organism’s body that can be related to processes like reproduction and metabolism
what functional adaptations may desert animals have?
they may conserve water by producing very little sweatr and small amounts of concentrated urine
how are brown bears functionally adapted?
they hibernate over the winter, and they lower their metabolism which conserves energy, so they do not have to hunt when there’s not much food around
food chains always start with a…?
producer
what do producers do?
make their own food using energy from the sun ( usually green plants or algae)
what is a plants biomass?
biological molecules made in a plant from glucose, its basically energy stored in a plant