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Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

0
Q

What does the biosphere contain?

A

All life on Earth

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1
Q

What is ecology?

A

The study of the interactions between organisms and their surroundings.

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2
Q 
Levels and examples: 
Individual: 
Species:
Population:
Community:
Ecosystem:
Biome:
Biosphere:
A

Individual: One single organism- Erica

Species: a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring- Humans

Population: a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area- family

Community: an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area- School

Ecosystem: all the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment- Rockford

Biome: a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms- Illinois

Biosphere: the portion of the Earth that contains life; including land, water, atmosphere- The Earth

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3
Q

Biotic

A

Anything living or once living

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4
Q

Abiotic

A

Anything non-living

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5
Q

Why are many ecological phenomena difficult to study?

A

Expenses

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6
Q

What makes a planet living?

A

It contains both biotic and abiotic features.

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7
Q

What is a primary producer? Another name?

A

An organism that uses solar or chemical energy to produce food by making inorganic compounds into complex organic molecules. Eaten by other organisms for energy.

Autotroph

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8
Q

Can an organism love without energy from the sun? Explain

A

Yes, they can use chemical energy

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9
Q

What are consumers? Another name?

A

Organisms that ingest other organisms as energy. Heterotrophs

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10
Q

Herbivores? Example?

A

Organisms that obtain nutrients from plants. (Plant eaters) Deer

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11
Q

Carnivores? Ex?

A

Organisms that obtain nutrients from catching and consuming meat. (Meat eaters) Cats

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12
Q

Omnivores? Ex?

A

Organisms whose diets include both plants and animals. Bears

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13
Q

Detritivores? Ex?

A

Organisms that feed on detritus particles. Worms.

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14
Q

Decomposers? Ex?

A

Organisms that “feed” by chemically breaking down organic matter. Fungi

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15
Q

Scavengers? Ex?

A

Organisms that consume the carcasses of other animals. Vultures

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16
Q

What role do producers play in establishing Earth as a living planet?

A

They are the base of the food pyramid and they produce the oxygen we breathe.

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17
Q

How does energy flow through an ecosystem?

A

It flows through a food chain.

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18
Q

How is a food chain different from a food web?

A

A food chain implies that each organism only consumes one type of food. A food web is made of many food chains.

19
Q

Each step in a food chain is called?

A

A trophic level

20
Q

What is an ecological pyramid?

A

A pyramid that shows the relative amount of energy or matter

21
Q

What are the three types if ecological pyramids?

A

Energy, biomass, numbers

22
Q

What does an energy pyramid show?

A

The relative amount if energy in each trophic level

23
Q

What does a biomass pyramid show?

A

The relative amount of living organic matter available to each trophic level

24
Q

What does a number pyramid show?

A

The number of individual organisms in each trophic level

25
Q

10% rule?

A

Through each tropic level, only 10% of energy from the level before is transferred. The other 90% is given off as heat or used in the body

26
Q

How does matter cycle through the biosphere?

A

It is recycled within and between ecosystems. Biogeochemical cycles

27
Q

What are the four processes that cycle matter through the biosphere?

A

Biological, chemical and physical, geological, and human activity

28
Q

Why is human activity a separate category from the other processes

A

The others occur naturally (don’t trust my answer if you have something better)

29
Q

What are two primary ways water passes through the water cycle?

A

Groundwater and runoff into lakes, rivers, etc

30
Q

How are transpiration and evaporation similar?

A

Both cause water to be released into the atmosphere

31
Q

How are transpiration and evaporation different?

A

Transpiration is a biological process while evaporation is a physical/chemical process

32
Q

Do water molecules always follow the same steps through the water cycle?

A

No.

33
Q

What are the three nutrient cycles?

A

Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus

34
Q

Carbon cycle- biological example

A

In producers, CO2 enters by photosynthesis and exits by cellular respiration

35
Q

Carbon cycle- geological example

A

Marine sediments (containing carbon) are turned into rock (carbonate rocks) which release CO2

36
Q

Carbon cycle- chemical example

A

CO2 dissolves in rainwater or in the ocean and returns to the atmosphere (evaporation)

37
Q

Carbon cycle- human activity example

A

Burning of fossil fuels releases CO2

38
Q

What is atmospheric nitrogen fixation?

A

The process where bacteria converts nitrogen gas into ammonia.

39
Q

How do humans add nitrogen to the biosphere?

A

Through the manufacture and use of fertilizers

40
Q

Which parts of the phosphorus cycle are geological processes?

A

The change of marine sediments into rock, then the washing of phosphates from rock into the ocean.

41
Q

What is one way human activity affects the phosphorus cycle?

A

Phosphorus is mined and turned into fertilizer and can run off into rivers, streams, oceans, etc

42
Q

If a nutrient were in short supply in an ecosystem, how would it affect an organism?

A

The rate at which primary producers create organic material would be limited

43
Q

What is a limiting nutrient?

A

A nutrient whose supply limits productivity is the limiting nutrient

44
Q

What happens if there is a limitation of nutrients in soil?

A

If any nutrient is short in supply, the whole system slows down or stops completely (this is why farmers use fertilizers- to add nutrients)

Biology (5 decks)

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