Ecology Flashcards
(20 cards)
what is an ecosystem?
interacting between a community of living organisms (biotic) and its environment (also abiotic)
what is the environment?
consists of all the conditions that surround any living organism. abiotic and biotic factors.
what is a population?
all the organisms of the same species living together in a habitat.
what is a habitat?
the place where an organism lives
what is a community?
all the different species living together in a habitat
what are the two factors of habitat?
abiotic: non living factors
biotic: living factors
what does diverse mean in terms of communities?
a diverse community means that it has many different types of species. the more diverse it is the more healthier the community is.
what are the biotic factors?
food availability, predators, congestion from other organisms, infections from pathogens
what are the abiotic factors?
sunlight, temperature, pH, water, minerals, soil type, salinity (salt levels)
what is a niche?
the role/job of an organism
what things to animals compete for?
food, mates, territory
what is biodiversity?
the variety of all different species of living things in an environment and their interactions between each other
Where is most nitrogen found?
in air as a gas
How do plants obtain nitrogen?
in the form of nitrates
How do animals obtain nitrogen?
from the proteins that they consume
Describe the process of the nitrogen cycle
- nitrogen-fixation
- animals feed on plants grown
- decomposition of animals
- nitrification
- denitrification
What is nitrogen-fixation?
nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is converted into nitrates through nitrogen fixation bacteria found in soil at high temperatures/when lighting strikes. this fertilises the soil.
What is decomposition in the nitrogen cycle?
when animals die they release nitrates and proteins and decomposers break down the organic matter and release ammonia from them into the soil.
What is nitrification?
this is when ammonium is converted to nitrites which are then converted to nitrates using nitrifying bacteria.
What is denitrification?
the plants can either be used up by the plants or go through denitrification. this is when the nitrates are converted back into nitrogen gas using denitrifying bacteria.
