Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
The study of plants and animals and how they interact with their environment.
Biosphere
The part of the earth that supports life.
Ecosystem
A community of living and non-living things interacting with each other in a specific environment.
Habitat
Where an organism lives.
Food Chain
Shows the transfer of energy from one organism to the next in an ecosystem.
Biotic
The LIVING factors that affect organisms
Abiotic
The NON-LIVING factors that affect organisms
Climatic
The long-term weather conditions that affect organisms
Edaphic
The soil that affects organisms
Niche
The functional role of an organism (i.e its position on a food chain)
Producer
Organisms capable of making their own food by photosynthesis (i.e green plants)
Consumer
Feed on other organisms - cannot make their own food. 3 Types
Primary Consumer
Feed on Producers
Secondary Consumer
Feed on Primary Consumers
Tertiary Consumer
Feed on Secondary Comsumers
Trophic Level
The position of an organism in a food chain (Plants - T1, Herbivores - T2, Carnivores - T3, Top Carnivore/Omnivore - T4
Food Web
The interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
Primary Producers
The first members of a food chain
Flora
Plants
Fauna
Animals
Key
Used to identify
Animal Collection Equipment
Pooter
Pitfall Trap
Sweep Net
Beating Tray
Adaptation
A unique feature that allows an organism to survive
What piece of equipment is used to survey plants?
Quadrat
Qualitative Analysis
Whether a species is present or absent (% frequency)
Quantitative Analysis
Indicates how much of a species is present (% cover)
Quadrat
A large square frame divided into smaller squares used to identify plants in an ecosystem
Line Transect
A rope laid along the ground between two poles used to measure the distribution of organisms.
Population
A group of organisms of the same species living together in a habitat.
Community
All of the different species living together in an ecosystem.
Competition - 2 Types
When organisms of the same or different species fight for resources that are in short supply.
-Scramble
-Contest
Scramble
Where each organism tries to gain as much of the resource as possible
(e.g. Ivy using its roots to grip the hawthorn and climb higher to receive more light.)
Contest
Involves an active physical confrontation between two or more organisms – one wins!
Predation - 2 Types
The act of killing and eating another animal for food.
-Predator
-Prey
Predator
Animal that kills and eats another animal for food.
Prey
An animal that is killed and eaten by another animal for food.
Parasitism - 2 Types
A relationship where one organism lives in or on another while causing it harm.
-Parasite
-Host
Pollution
Any harmful addition to the environment.
Conservation + 1 practice
The protection and management of the earths natural resources.
(Fishing - quotas put on net sizes.)
Waste Management + 1 practice
Reducing or reusing waste for a specific useful purpose.
(Fish processing waste - heads, fins, tails, can be treated and used at pig feed/fertiliser)
Symbiosis
A relationship between two or more (different) organisms where at least one of them benefits.
(e.g. bacteria in the colon produce vitamins B2 and K - absorbed by human)
