Ecology Flashcards
Acid rain
rain that has an acidic pH caused by acid gases that have been released into the atmosphere, such as sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These gases dissolve in rainwater and react with oxygen in the air to for acid
Biodiversity
measure of the variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth
Deforestation
the removal of trees from a large area of land so that the area can be used for other purposes, such as farming or
building
trophic level
feeding levels in an ecosystem
Biomass
the amount of biological material in an organism
Carbon cycle
the cycling of carbon through the living and non-living world
decomposers
microorganisms that break down waste products and dead bodies
Primary consumer
animals that eat producers
Producers
organisms such as plants and algae that can make food from raw materials such as carbon dioxide and water
Secondary consumer
animals that eat the primary consumers
Abundance
a measure of how common or rare a particular type of organism is in a given environment
Adaptations
special features that make an organism particularly well suited to the environment where it lives
Community
group of interdependent living organisms in an ecosystem
Competition
the process by which living organisms compete with each other for limited resources such as food, light, or
reproductive partners
Distribution
where particular types of organisms are found within an environment
Extremophile
an organism that can survive and reproduce in extreme conditions
Interdependence
the network of relationships between different organisms within a community, for example each
species depends on other species for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal, etc.
Mean
the arithmetical average of a series of numbers
Median
the middle value in a list of numbers
Mode
the number which occurs most often in a set of data
Quadrat
a sample area used for measuring the abundance and distribution of organisms in the field
Quantitative sampling
records the numbers of organisms rather than just the type
Range
the maximum and minimum values for the independent or dependent variables – important in ensuring that any
patterns are detected
Sample size
the size of a sample in an investigation
Transect
a measured line or area along which ecological measurements are made
