Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Biosphere

A

part of the earth in which life exists. including land, water, and air (aka atmosphere)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Ecosystem

A

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

autotroph/producer

A

organism that is able to capture energy from the sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

heterotroph/consumer

A

organism that obtains food by consuming other living things

organism that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

omnivore

A

organisms that obtain energy by eating both plants and animals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

food web

A

network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

nutrient

A

chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

climate

A

average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time. what is the average weather of an area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

habitat

A

area where an organism lives, including the biotic and abiotic factors that effect it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

herbivory

A

interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

parasitism

A

symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it. (- +)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

primary succession

A

succession that occurs in an area with no previous life/ community is present. no dirt or soil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

population density

A

number of individuals per unit area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

exponential growth

A

growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

global warming

A

increase in the average temperatures on earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

renewable resource

A

resources that can be produced or replaced by healthy ecosystem functions (ex; solar power, water thing)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

acid rain

A

rain containing nitric and sulfuric acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

habitat fragmentation

A

splitting of ecosystems into pieces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

ozone layer

A

atmospheric layer in which ozone gas is relatively concentrated; protects life on earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

chemosynthesis

A

process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

density-dependent limiting factor

A

limiting factor that depends on population density

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

population

A

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

biome

A

a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

primary producer

A

first producer of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
carnivore
organism that obtain energy by eating other animals
26
decomposer
organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter
27
trophic level
each step in a food chain or web
28
limiting nutrient
factor that causes population growth to decrease
29
microclimate
environmental conditions within a small area that differs significantly from the climate in surrounding areas
30
niche
full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way the organism uses those conditions
31
keystone species
single species that is not abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on the structure of a community
32
commensalism
symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed
33
secondary succession
type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances. (has dirt/ soil)
34
age structure
number of males and females of each age in a population
35
logistic growth
growth pattern in which a population's growth slows and then stops following a period of exponential growth
36
ecological hot spot
small geographical area where significant numbers of habitats and species are in immediate danger of extinction
37
desertification
lower land productivity caused by over farming, overgrazing, seasonal drought, and climate change
38
nonrenewable resource
resource that cannot be replenished by a natural process within a reasonable amount of time. (ex. fossil fuels, coal)
39
sustainable development
strategy for using natural resources without depleting them and for providing human needs without causing long-term environmental harm
40
biological magnification
increasing concentration of a harmful substance in an organism at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web
41
community
assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
42
biotic factor
any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
43
photosynthesis
process used by plants and other heterotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
44
herbivore
organism that obtains food by consuming other living things
45
detritivore
organism that feeds on plants and animal remains and other dead matter
46
ecological pyramid
illustration of the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web
47
weather
day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and other factors
48
tolerance
ability of an organism to survive and reproduce under circumstances that differ from their optimal conditions
49
resource
any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, food, or space
50
symbiosis
relationship in which two species live close together
51
(ecological) succession
a series of more or less predictable changes that occur in a community over time
52
wetland
ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near surface for at least part of the year
53
immigration
movement of individuals into an area occupied by an existing population. ( im= in)
54
carrying capacity
largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
55
demography
scientific study of human populations
56
ecological footprint
total amount of functioning ecosystem needed both to provide the resources a human population uses and to absorb the wastes that population generates
57
pollutant
harmful material that can enter the biosphere through land, air, or water.
58
biodiversity
total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere; also called biological diversity
59
ecosystem diversity
variety of habitats, communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere
60
competitive exclusion principle
principle that states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
61
density- independent limiting factor
limiting factor that affects all populations in a similar ways, regardless of population density
62
ecology
scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
63
abiotic factor
physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem
64
scavenger
animal that consumes the carcasses of other animals
65
food chain
series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
66
biomass
total amount of living tissue within a trophic level
67
biogeochemical chain
process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
68
greenhouse effect
process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in Earth's atmosphere as heat
69
predation
interaction in which one organism (the predator) captures and feeds on another organism (the prey)
70
pioneer species
first species to populate an area during succession
71
estuary
kind of wetland formed where a river meets the ocean
72
smog
gray-brown haze formed by mixture of chemicals
73
mutualism
symbiotic relationship in which both species benefits from the relationship
74
emigration
movement of individuals out of an area
75
limiting factor
factor that causes population growth to decrease
76
monoculture
farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year
77
deforestation
destruction of forests
78
genetic diversity
sum total of all the different forms of genetic information carried by a particular species, or by all the organisms on earth
79
species diversity
number of different species that make up a particular area

Biology (16 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions