Ecology

Question 1

Acid rain

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Biodiversity

Answer 2

measure of the variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth

Question 3

Deforestation

Answer 3

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

Question 4

trophic level

Answer 4

feeding levels in an ecosystem

Question 5

Biomass

Answer 5

the amount of biological material in an organism

Question 6

Carbon cycle

Answer 6

the cycling of carbon through the living and non-living world

Question 7

decomposers

Answer 7

microorganisms that break down waste products and dead bodies

Question 8

Primary consumer

Answer 8

animals that eat producers

Question 9

Producers

Answer 9

organisms such as plants and algae that can make food from raw materials such as carbon dioxide and water

Question 10

Secondary consumer

Answer 10

animals that eat the primary consumers

Question 11

Abundance

Answer 11

a measure of how common or rare a particular type of organism is in a given environment

Question 12

Adaptations

Answer 12

special features that make an organism particularly well suited to the environment where it lives

Question 13

Community

Answer 13

group of interdependent living organisms in an ecosystem

Question 14

Competition

Answer 14

the process by which living organisms compete with each other for limited resources such as food, light, or
reproductive partners

Question 15

Distribution

Answer 15

where particular types of organisms are found within an environment

Question 16

Extremophile

Answer 16

an organism that can survive and reproduce in extreme conditions

Question 17

Interdependence

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Mean

Answer 18

the arithmetical average of a series of numbers

Question 19

Median

Answer 19

the middle value in a list of numbers

Question 20

Mode

Answer 20

the number which occurs most often in a set of data

Question 21

Quadrat

Answer 21

a sample area used for measuring the abundance and distribution of organisms in the field

Question 22

Quantitative sampling

Answer 22

records the numbers of organisms rather than just the type

Question 23

Range

Answer 23

the maximum and minimum values for the independent or dependent variables – important in ensuring that any
patterns are detected

Question 24

Sample size

Answer 24

the size of a sample in an investigation

Question 25

Transect

Answer 25

a measured line or area along which ecological measurements are made