ECOLOGY Flashcards
study of environment and interaction between organisms
ecology
the layer of earth that supports all life forms
biosphere
refers to the environment where living & nonliving things exist & interact w/ one another
ecosystem
living factors
biotic factors
nonliving factors e.g. sun, air, temperature
abiotic factors
what are the different food dependency relationships
producers
consumers
herbivores
carnivores
omnivores
scavengers
decomposers
what animals that are primary sources of energy; can make their own food (autotrophs)
producers
animals that feed on other organisms in order to survive (heterotrophs)
consumers
primary consumers animals/ eats plants
herbivores
secondary consumers/ eat meats
carnivores
tertiary consumers/ eat both meat and plants
omnivores
animals that feed predominantly on dead plants and animals
scavengers
hasten the decay of and decomposition of animal matter
decomposers
the roles performed by living thing in the ecosystems
ecological niche
place where organisms stay
habitat
transfer of sun’s energy from producers to consumers as organism feed on one another
food chain
overlapping food chains
food web
what are the different cycles in ecosystem
water cycle
carbon-oxygen cycle
nitrogen cycle
phosphorus cycle
fixed form of nitrogen
nitrate ions NO3-
ammonium ions NH4+
urea (NH2)2C0
BREAKS APART NITROGEN MOLECULE
nitrogen fixation
breaks apart nitrogen by lightning; dissolves in rain, forming nitrates
atmospheric fixation
breaks apart nitrogen by microbes, requires ATP (adenosine triphosphate) the major energy provider of cell
biological fixation
breaks apart nitrogen by products;
ammonia (NH3)
urea (NH2)2CO
ammonium nitrate (NH4NH3)
industrial fixation
molecules are broken down further into ammonia (NH3)
decay
most of the ammonia produced by decay is converted into nitrates
nitrification
reduces nitrates and nitrates to nitrogen gas
denitrification
example of phosphate that weathers from rocks and minerals
apatite
phosphate is washed in water through
erosion and leaching by rain
in, soil phosphate is absorbed on what
iron oxides
aluminum hydroxides
water plants and algae use phosphate as?
nutrients
what plants use phosphate as nutrients
water plants and algae
what species interaction refer to intimate or close association of two organisms of different species
symbiosis
what species interaction where both organisms benefit
mutualism
what species interaction where one member benefits while other is not affected (commensal-host)
commensalism
what species interaction where one member benefit while the other is harmed (parasite-host)
parasitism
what is the name of the host in commensalism
commensal
hat is the name of the host in parasitism
parasite
what do you call the external parasites
ectoparasite
what do you call the internal parasite
endoparasite
what species interaction refers to relationship in which one organisms attacks, kills and feeds on another
predation
what do you call the prey in predation
predator
what species interaction where two or more organisms compete or struggle with one another for limited food, water, etc.
competition
competition between different species
interspecific
competition between same species
intraspecific
competition where behavioral adaptation exhibited by the member of a group
cooperation
