Ecology

Question 1

Predation

Answer 1

Predators benefit as they feed on prey; predation affects numbers and behavior of prey

Question 2

Parasitism

Answer 2

A parasite lives on or in a host, obtaining food from the host and harming it

Question 3

Competition

Answer 3

A species using a resource reduces the amount available to other species using it

Question 4

Mutualism

Answer 4

Different species living together in a close relationship, from which they both benefit

Question 5

Herbivory

Answer 5

Primary consumers feed on plants or other producers; harms producers but reduces competition between producers

Question 6

Distribution of a species

Answer 6

The range of places it inhabits

Question 7

Ecological niche

Answer 7

An species spacial habitat and interactions with other species

Question 8

Competitive exclusion principle

Answer 8

Only one species can occupy a niche in an ecosystem

Question 9

Fundamental niche

Answer 9

Th niche that a species could potentially occupy

Question 10

Realized niche

Answer 10

The niche a species actually occupies

Question 11

Keystone species

Answer 11

Has a disproportionate effect on the structure of an ecological community

Question 12

Net production

Answer 12

The amount of energy converted to biomass in an organism

Question 13

Gross production

Answer 13

The total amount of energy in food assimilated by an animal or photosynthesis in producers

Question 14

Feed conversion ratio

Answer 14

Th efficiency with which a species uses food

Question 15

Closed cosystem

Answer 15

An ecosystem that does not exchange nutrients with its surroundings

Question 16

Three main storage compartments of terrestrial ecosystems

Answer 16

1. Biomass: living organisms
2. Litter: dead organic material
3. Soil

Question 17

Taiga

Answer 17

Large litter, small biomass and soil

Question 18

Desert

Answer 18

Large soil, small biomass and litter

Question 19

Rainforest

Answer 19

Large biomass, mall litter and soil

Question 20

Eutrophication

Answer 20

Excessive richness of nutrients in a body of water because of high levels of nitrate and phosphate, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animals

Question 21

Ecological succession

Answer 21

A series of changes to an ecosystem

Question 22

Primary succession

Answer 22

An ecosystem starting where organisms have not previously lived

Question 23

Endemic species

Answer 23

One that naturally occurs in an area

Question 24

Biological control

Answer 24

The use of a predator, parasite or pathogen to reduce or eliminate a pest

Question 25

Biomagnification

Answer 25

Concentration of pollutants in the tissues of organisms

Question 26

Richness

Answer 26

Number of different species present

Question 27

Evenness

Answer 27

How close in numbers the different species are

Question 28

In situ conservation

Answer 28

Conserving a species in its own habitat

Question 29

Ex situ conservation

Answer 29

Transferring threatened populations elsewhere

Question 30

Indicator species

Answer 30

Needs particular environmental conditions and so shows what the conditions in an ecosystem are

Question 31

Diversity index

Answer 31

N(N-1)/sum:n(n-1)
N is total number of species
n is number of individuals per species

Question 32

Capture mark release recapture

Answer 32

Number caught and marked initially times total number caught second time divided by number of marked second time

Question 33

Population change equation

Answer 33

(Natality+immigration)-(mortality+emigration)

Question 34

Nitrogen fixation

Answer 34

The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia

Question 35

Nitrogen fixing bacteria

Answer 35

Azotobacter: free living
Rhizobium: living in roots

Question 36

Nitrification

Answer 36

The conversion of ammonia to nitrate

Question 37

Soil bacteria for nitrification

Answer 37

Nitrosomonas then nitrobacter

Question 38

Denitrification

Answer 38

The conversion of nitrate into nitrogen by denitrifying bacteria

Question 39

Denitrifying bacteria

Answer 39

Psuedomonas