Ecology

Question 1

Biosphere

Answer 1

The volume of the earths surface where organisms can be found

Question 2

Biome

Answer 2

The biosphere is made up of several types of biome classified by vegetation type

Question 3

Ecosystem

Answer 3

An ecosystem is the interaction of
a community of living organisms (biotic) with
the non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment

Question 4

Community

Answer 4

This is all the different species that live in the
same habitat at the same time.
• The word is often used to refer to organisms of a
particular kind, such as the plant community on a
lawn.
•E.g. A example of a community is all the different
organisms living in the ash woodland

Question 5

Population

Answer 5

Ecosystems and communities contain
populations of species.
• A population is made up of all the organisms of
one species living together in the same place
(habitat) at the same time.
• An example would be all the ash trees in a wood.

Question 6

Individual

Answer 6

Finally each population is made up of many
individuals.
• The genetic and physiological adaptations of an
individual organism to its environment is an
important aspect of ecology.

Question 7

Habitat

Answer 7

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Question 8

Interdependance

Answer 8

the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

Question 9

Biotic factors

Answer 9

A biotic factor is any living component that affects the population of another organism, or the environment. This includes animals that consume the organism, and the living food that the organism consumes. Biotic factors also include human influence, pathogens, and disease outbreaks.

Question 10

Abiotic factors

Answer 10

a nonliving condition or thing, as climate or habitat, that influences or affects an ecosystem and the organisms in it: Abiotic factors can determine which species of organisms will survive in a given environment. Compare biotic factor. Contemporary definitions for abiotic factor. noun.

Question 11

What is competition?

Answer 11

Competition is when animals or plants have to compete for limited resources. The best adapted animals or plants will ‘win’ and survive. E.g. animals compete for food, territories and mates. Plants compete for sunlight, space and mineral ions.

Question 12

Interspecific competition

Answer 12

This is the competition between organisms of two different species, for example: and pack of lions and a pack of hyenas fighting for a wildebeest carcass

Question 13

Intraspecific competition

Answer 13

This is the competition between organisms of the same species, such as two troups of baboons fighting for a female to mate with.