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Sam - Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Definition of ecology?

A

the study of organisms and their environment.

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2
Q

Definition of biosphere?

A

the part of the earth where life can exist.

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3
Q

Definition of ecosystem?

A

organisms and their environment.

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4
Q

Definition of habitat?

A

place where an organism lives.

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5
Q

Definition of population?

A

all the organisms of the same species living in an area.

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6
Q

Definition of community?

A

all the organisms in an area/habitat/ecosystem.

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7
Q

Definition of niche?

A

refers to the role an organism plays in a community.

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8
Q

What are some examples of biosphere?

A

deep in the ocean, rock, air, soil.

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9
Q

What are examples of an ecosystem?

A

grassland, woodland, bogland, deserts, lakes.

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10
Q

What are examples of a habitat?

A

grassland, seashore.

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11
Q

What is an example of a population in their area/habitat?

A

rabbits in a field.

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12
Q

What does abiotic factors mean?

A

non-living factors.

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13
Q

What does biotic factors mean?

A

living factors.

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14
Q

Definition of climatic factors?

A

the weather over a long period of time.

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15
Q

Definition of edaphic factors?

A

relate to the soil.

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16
Q

Definition of aquatic factors?

A

relate to water.

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17
Q

What are factors of sandy soil/large soil particles?

A
  • good drainage
  • good air content
  • low mineral content
  • low water content
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18
Q

What are factors of clay soil/small soil particles?

A
  • impermeable to water
  • impermeable to air
  • poor drainage
  • high mineral content
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19
Q

What is the primary source of energy flow?

A

the sun.

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20
Q

What percentage of energy is passed on to another organism?

A

10%

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21
Q

Definition of producers?

A

organisms that make their own food by photosynthesis.

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22
Q

Definition of consumers?

A

cannot make their own food.

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23
Q

Definition of primary consumers?

A

feed on producers.

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24
Q

Definition of herbivores?

A

feed on plants only.

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25
Q

Definition of decomposers?

A

feed on dead organic matter.

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26
Q

Definition of secondary consumers?

A

feed on primary consumers.

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27
Q

Definition of carnivores?

A

feed on meat only.

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28
Q

Definition of tertiary consumers?

A

feed on secondary consumers.

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29
Q

Definition of omnivores?

A

feed on both plants and animals.

30
Q

Name an example of an omnivore?

A

human/bear/badger

31
Q

Definition of a food chain?

A

a sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next organism of the food chain.

32
Q

Definition of a trophic level?

A

is a feeding stage in the food train.

33
Q

Definition of trophic?

A

feeding or nutrition.

34
Q

Who do producers always occupy?

A

1st trophic level.

35
Q

Who do primary consumers occupy?

A

2nd trophic level.

36
Q

Why is the food chain limited?

A

as low amount of energy passed on/lost.

37
Q

What is a food web and what’s is its function?

A

consists of two or more food chains that are interlinked. it shows many interrelationships that exist in an ecosystem.

38
Q

What does a pyramid of numbers represent?

A

the organism number at each trophic level in a food chain.

39
Q

As you move up the food chain, the number of organisms at each trophic level?

A

decreases.

40
Q

As you move up the food chain, the size of the individual?

A

increases.

41
Q

What is a normal pyramid?

A

the numbers of organisms decline going up the pyramid due to energy loss between trophic levels.

42
Q

What’s an inverted pyramid?

A

numbers of organisms don’t always get smaller going up the pyramid which gives rise to an inverted pyramid.

43
Q

Definition of biomass?

A

total weight of the organisms.

44
Q

Give two limitations of pyramid of numbers?

A
  • they can’t always be drawn to scale due to the numbers of organisms being so large.
  • they do not always account for the size of the organisms.
45
Q

Name the four factors that control population size?

A
  1. competition
  2. predation
  3. parasitism
  4. symbiosis
46
Q

What is meant by competition?

A

when organisms struggle for a resource.

47
Q

Give an example for plants and animals in competition?

A

plants compete for food/space/water/light.
animals compete for food/shelter/mates/space.

48
Q

What does intra-specific competition mean? Give an example.

A

takes place between members of the same species.
Eg: two blackbirds fighting for territory.

49
Q

Name the two types of competition?

A

contest competition and scramble competition.

50
Q

What does contest competition mean?
Give an eg.

A

where there is a physical contest between two individual organisms and only one benefits.
Eg: fighting for territory, food, mate.

51
Q

What does scramble competition mean?
Give an eg.

A

where all of the competing individuals get some of the resource.
Eg: plant competing for light and space.

52
Q

Give two benefits of competition?

A

ensures evolution and species are maintained.

53
Q

Discuss an adaptation of organisms to survive competition

A

a butterfly and caterpillar are the same species but avoid competition as they have different mouth parts. butterflies feed on nectar while caterpillars feed on leaves.

54
Q

What is meant by predation?

A

the hunting, killing and eating of another organism.

55
Q

Definition of a predator? Give eg

A

an organism that hunts, kills and eats another organism. eg: fox

56
Q

Definition of prey?

A

an organism that is eaten by a predator. eg: rabbit.

57
Q

What are some predator adaptations?

A

excellent eyesight, night vision, good sense of smell, fast.

58
Q

What are some prey adaptations? Give an eg and discuss.

A

good senses, camouflage. eg: rabbit has long ears to hear, strong hind legs and fast.

59
Q

What are some plant adaptations? Give an eg.

A

nettles have a sting to protect themselves from predators, flowers are bright colours to attract insects for pollination, wild garlic has a strong odour.

60
Q

Give four factors that affect human populations?

A
  • war increases the death rate.
  • famine increases the death rate.
  • contraception reduces the birth rate.
  • disease increases the death rate.
61
Q

What is meant by parasitism?

A

occurs when one organism obtains it’s food from a live host causing it harm.

62
Q

What’s a parasite?

A

a living organism that lives with and feeds off another organism causing harm.

63
Q

What’s a host? Give an eg.

A

a living organism that is fed on and harmed by another organism that lives with it. eg: fleas on a dog.

64
Q

Name the three types of parasites?

A

endoparasites, exoparasites, obligate parasites.

65
Q

What’s an endoparasite? Give an eg.

A

live on the inside of the host’s body causing harm. eg: tapeworm in the human small intestines.

66
Q

What’s an exoparasite? Give an eg.

A

live on the outside of the host’s body. eg: fleas on a dog.

67
Q

What’s an obligate parasite?

A

require a host to reproduce.

68
Q

What is the role of parasites?

A

they control populations of the organism that they feed on.

69
Q
A
70
Q

What’s mutualism?

A

is another form of symbiosis where both organisms benefit.

Sam - Biology (17 decks)

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