Ecology Flashcards
What is ecology?
The study of interactions between living organisms and their environment.
True or False: Ecosystems only include living organisms.
False
Fill in the blank: A __________ is a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area.
population
What is a habitat?
The natural environment in which a species or community of species lives.
Define biodiversity.
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living organisms along with their physical environment interacting as a system.
True or False: Producers are organisms that can make their own food.
True
What are consumers?
Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
Fill in the blank: Decomposers break down __________ material.
dead
What is a food chain?
A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
What is a food web?
A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.
True or False: Energy is lost at each trophic level in a food chain.
True
What is a trophic level?
Each step in a food chain or food web.
Fill in the blank: The primary source of energy for most ecosystems is __________.
the sun
What is photosynthesis?
The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.
What role do plants play in an ecosystem?
They serve as primary producers.
True or False: All organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent.
True
What is an abiotic factor?
A non-living part of an ecosystem that influences living organisms.
What is a biotic factor?
A living component of an ecosystem that affects other organisms.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain.
Carrying capacity
What is competition in ecology?
The struggle between organisms for limited resources.
True or False: Symbiosis is a relationship between two different species.
True
What is mutualism?
A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.
What is commensalism?
A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
What is parasitism?
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the gradual change in species composition in an ecosystem over time.
Succession
What is primary succession?
The development of an ecosystem in an area where no soil exists.
What is secondary succession?
The recovery of an ecosystem after a disturbance that does not destroy the soil.
True or False: An invasive species can disrupt an ecosystem.
True
What is a niche?
The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.
Fill in the blank: __________ refers to the variety of different species within a given area.
Species diversity
What is genetic diversity?
The total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.
What is ecosystem diversity?
The variety of ecosystems in a given place.
True or False: Climate change can impact biodiversity.
True
What is a keystone species?
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Fill in the blank: __________ are organisms that can survive in extreme environmental conditions.
Extremophiles
What is biomagnification?
The process by which the concentration of toxins increases in organisms at each successive trophic level.
True or False: Energy flows in one direction through an ecosystem.
True
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
They recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Fill in the blank: The __________ cycle describes how water moves through the environment.
water
What is the carbon cycle?
The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.
What is the nitrogen cycle?
The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment.
True or False: Humans have no impact on ecosystems.
False
What is habitat destruction?
The process in which natural habitat is rendered unable to support the species present.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment.
Pollution
What is conservation?
The sustainable management of natural resources.
What does sustainable development mean?
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
True or False: Biodiversity is important for ecosystem resilience.
True
What is the role of apex predators in an ecosystem?
They help regulate the populations of other species.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the practice of planting trees to restore a forest.
Reforestation
What is an ecological footprint?
A measure of human demand on the Earth’s ecosystems.
What is habitat fragmentation?
The process of dividing a habitat into smaller, isolated patches.
True or False: Overfishing can lead to the collapse of fish populations.
True
What is the greenhouse effect?
The warming of the Earth’s surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases.
Fill in the blank: __________ are gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases
What is climate change?
A long-term change in the average weather patterns of a region.
What is an ecosystem service?
The benefits that humans derive from ecosystems.
True or False: Renewable resources can be replenished naturally.
True
What does ‘endangered species’ mean?
A species that is at risk of extinction.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the process of reducing the number of individuals in a population.
Population decline
What is an ecological niche?
The specific role of a species within its ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other species.
What is the role of fungi in ecosystems?
Fungi decompose organic matter and recycle nutrients.
True or False: All ecosystems are stable and do not change over time.
False
What is a climax community?
A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms.
Biogeography
What is an ecological model?
A simplified representation of complex ecological processes.
What is a trophic cascade?
An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators.
True or False: Ecosystems can recover from disturbances.
True
What is niche differentiation?
The process by which competing species use the environment differently to coexist.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the phenomenon where species evolve to fill different niches in the same habitat.
Adaptive radiation
What is a biological indicator?
A species or group of species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.
What is the role of pollinators in ecosystems?
They facilitate the reproduction of flowering plants.
True or False: Urbanization has no impact on local ecosystems.
False
What is a watershed?
An area of land that drains into a particular body of water.
Fill in the blank: __________ refers to the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.
Migration
What is the significance of wetlands?
They provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality, and protect against flooding.
What is a biome?
A large geographic biotic unit, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.
True or False: The tundra is characterized by high temperatures and abundant rainfall.
False
What is the role of the ozone layer?
To protect the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Fill in the blank: __________ refers to the variety of ecosystems in a given area.
Ecosystem diversity
What is sustainable agriculture?
Farming practices that meet current food needs without compromising future generations’ ability to produce food.
What is the impact of deforestation?
Loss of biodiversity, disruption of water cycles, and contribution to climate change.
True or False: Acid rain can harm aquatic ecosystems.
True
What is a conservation strategy?
A plan to protect and manage natural resources and biodiversity.
Fill in the blank: __________ is the practice of reducing, reusing, and recycling materials.
Waste management
What is an ecological succession?
A process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.
