ecology Flashcards
what is ecology
biotic & abiotic interacting
define interdependence
Everything depends on other living and non living elements to survive
what are the big 5 in the game of life
the sun, producers, consumers, decomposers, and abiotic material
what do producers do
make their own food
what do consumers do
must eat other organisms for food/energy
what do decomposers do
breakdown materials in an ecosystem
what is a food chain
organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
what is a food web
all food chains of an ecosystem
what is a food pyramid
organisms in an ecosystem grouped by trophic level
what is the 10% rule
only 10% of energy makes it to the next level because 90% was used
what are the ethical concerns? (there’s 3)
animal rights, human rights, and health concerns
define consumer democracy
influencing companies by buying / not buying certain products
how do nutrients cycle?
energy follow a one way path: sun —-> living organisms —-> heat —-> atmosphere
what is the water cycle
Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, Precipitation, and Collection.
how much nitrogen do we breathe in
78%
how much oxygen do we breathe in
21%
how much carbon dioxide do we breathe in
.042%
define carbon cycle
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
define the nitrogen cycle
unusable nitro is in the air then it becomes bacteria so plants can use it which would lead to animals eating it and humans eating animals/plants (air nitrogen > bacteria makes use of it > animal eats > human eats animal/plants)
why is George Washington Carver famous
promoted the understanding of the nitrogen cycle & encouraged crop rotation
define desertification
something becoming desert
what is a niche
includes all of the species’ requirements
what are the 4 categories of symbiosis
mutualism, parasitism, commensalism, and predation
define mutualism
occurs when both species benefit
define parasitism
one thing lives on another species
define commensalism
occurs when one species benefits
define predation
one organism feeds upon the other
name the 6 biomes
rain forest, temperate, taiga, desert, grasslands, tundra
define tundra
moist, thin topsoil over permafrost; mosses
define taiga
low in nutrients, evergreen trees
define temperate
moist, moderately thick topsoils, low in nutrients; broad-leaved trees
define rain forest
most, thin topsoil, very rich in nutrients; broad leaved evergreen trees
define grasslands
prairie; rich fertile soil
desert
extreme daily temp. fluctuations
