Ecology

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

Is the scientific study of the interactions of organisms in the environment

Question 2

Ecosystem

Answer 2

Community of organisms and their environment e.g. seashore ecosystem

Question 3

Biosphere

Answer 3

The part of the Earth where organisms can live

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

Part of an ecosystem where organisms can live

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

All the members of the same species living in an area

Question 6

Community

Answer 6

The different groups of organisms living in an ecosystem

Question 7

Niche

Answer 7

The role of an organism in an ecosystem

Question 8

Abiotic factors

Answer 8

Non-living features of the environment that affect the community e.g. aspect

Question 9

Biotic factors

Answer 9

Living factors of the environment that affect the community e.g. food

Question 10

Climatic factors

Answer 10

Refers to weather over a long period of time

Question 11

Edaphic factors

Answer 11

Aspects of the soil that influence an ecosystem such as the soil pH

Question 12

Producers

Answer 12

Autotroph’s that carry out photosynthesis

Question 13

Consumers

Answer 13

Organisms that take in food from another organism

Question 14

Herbivores

Answer 14

Animals that eat plants only

Question 15

Carnivores

Answer 15

Animals that mainly eat other animals (meat eater)

Question 16

Primary consumers

Answer 16

Organisms which feed directly on producers e.g. rabbits

Question 17

Secondary consumer

Answer 17

Carnivores that feed on primary consumers e.g. fox

Question 18

Tertiary consumers

Answer 18

Turn the forest of feed and secondary consumers e.g. badger

Question 19

Food chain

Answer 19

Pathway along which energy is passed from one organism to another

Question 20

Food web

Answer 20

The interconnection between two or more food chains

Question 21

Trophic level

Answer 21

Feeding stage in a food chain

Question 22

Pyramid of numbers

Answer 22

Diagram that shows the number of organisms at each trophic level

Question 23

Inverted pyramid of numbers

Answer 23

A pyramid starting with a very small number of producers

Question 24

Distorted pyramid of numbers

Answer 24

A pyramid skewed by large numbers of parasites as consumers

Question 25

Distorted pyramid of numbers

Answer 25

A pyramid skewed by large numbers of parasites as consumers

Question 26

Nutrient recycling

Answer 26

The way in which elements are exchanged between the living and nonliving components of an ecosystem

Question 27

Nitrogen fixation

Answer 27

Conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia or nitrate

Question 28

Nitrification

Answer 28

Converting an ammonia into nitrates and then nitrates by nitrifying bacteria

Question 29

Denitrification

Answer 29

Conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas (carried out by denitrifying bacteria in the soil)

Question 30

Pollution

Answer 30

The addition of anything harmful to the environment e.g. burning fossil fuels

Question 31

Pollutants

Answer 31

Substances that cause the undesirable change to the environment

Question 32

Conversion

Answer 32

The wise management of the environment and its resources

Question 33

Competition

Answer 33

When organisms in an ecosystem struggle for a resource that is in short supply

Question 34

Intra-specific competition

Answer 34

This takes place when members of the same species e.g. butter cups compete with each other for light

Question 35

Contest competition

Answer 35

A physical confrontation between two organisms and only one can win the resources e.g. Robbins actively defend the territory for feeding

Question 36

Scramble competition

Answer 36

A struggle for a resource in an ecosystem with all the organisms obtaining a small amount of resources e.g. seedlings competing for space around parent plants

Question 37

Adaptions

Answer 37

Ways in which organisms are specialised either in structure or behaviour to survive competition

Question 38

Predation

Answer 38

The killing, catching and eating of another animal

Question 39

Parasite

Answer 39

Living organisms that feed on another living organism of a different species known as the host

Question 40

Ectoparasites

Answer 40

Live on the body of the host

Question 41

Symbiosis

Answer 41

When two organisms from different species live together at least one benefits

Question 42

Mutualism

Answer 42

When two organisms from different species live together and both benefit e.g. clover and rhizobium

Question 43

Saprophyte

Answer 43

Organism that feeds on dead for organisms called decomposers

Question 44

Fauna

Answer 44

The animals in an Ecosystem

Question 45

Flora

Answer 45

The plants in an ecosystem

Question 46

Qualitative study

Answer 46

A study to find out the presence or absence of organisms in an ecosystem

Question 47

Quantitative study

Answer 47

A study to find out the number of organisms that exist in an ecosystem

Question 48

Quadrat

Answer 48

A square frame used in and quantitative study of plants

Question 49

Transect

Answer 49

A line or path across a habitat along which plant species numbers are counted

Question 50

Anemometer

Answer 50

A device used to measure wind speed

Question 51

Decomposer

Answer 51

Microorganisms and other organisms that returned nutrients to the environment by death and decay

Question 52

Eutrophication

Answer 52

When nutrients runs off from the land into a lake/river which causes the dense ground of plants in the water and the death of fish and other organisms