Ecology Flashcards
Enviroment
Factors that affect an organism’s chance of survival
Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and their non living surroundings
Ecosystem
The place where organisms and their physical surroundings form an environment that is different from other environment
Abiotic factors
These are non living factors, physical factors eg. air quality and humidity, amount of sunlight, rainfall, wind, fire
Biotic factors
These are living factors
eg. Predators, parasites
Sustainability
An ecosystem has the ability to maintain suitable living conditions for the community
Food chain
Diagram showing the sequence of energy transfer
Food web
Energy transfer in a community
Biodiversity
The number of different species in an ecosystem and the population of each species
HIPPO
Habitat loss, deforestation Invasive species, cane toad Pollution, oil spills Population, overpopulation and effect Over harvesting, hunting, fishing
Insecticides
Chemicals than can kill insects
Predation
One organism kills another for food
eg. Lion
Parasitism
One organism benefit by harming another
eg. Human —> mosquitoes
Commensalism
One organism benefits and another is uneffected
eg. Eagle and cactus
Mutualism
Both organisms benefit
eg. Dog and human
Competition
When two organisms compete for the same food source
eg. Lion and Hyena
Trophic levels
Describes the number of energy transfer
Autorophs
Organisms that make their own food
eg. Plants, algae
Heterotrophs
Organisms that consume others
eg dogs, fish
Community
All living things in the system
Niche
The role an organism has
Structural adaptations
Physical features of an organism
eg. Bones
Behavioural adaptations
Things that organisms do
eg migration
Physiological Adaptations
Keeping internal conditions that same, homeostasis
eg. Sweating
Global warming
Prevents heat from escaping causing temperatures to rise
Deforestation
Causes habitat fragmentation, forcing animals and plants into confined areas
Ozone Depletion
Caused by aresol chemicals that escape into the atmosphere breaking down the ozone
Fishing activities
Caused by demand for fish/shellfish and commercial fishing can be harmful to the population of fish species
Invasive species
Introduced by humans and are problems because they have no natural predators
eg cane toads
Eutrophication
When excessive amounts of nitrogen is dumped into a river which leads to algae infestations. When this occurs it cuts off the river’s oxygen supply
Seafloor spreading
The process of new crust forming at the ocean ridges and spreading outwards
Tectonic plate
Section of the earths crust the moves across the surface
Subduction
When one plate sinks below another
Magnetic striping
Patterns of magnetised rock on each side of the plate boundary showing which direction the magnetic field is
Ocean ridge
A deep channel in the ocean floor where the crust is sinking down
Earthquake
A sudden realise of energy
Focus
The point within the earth where faulting begins
Epicentre
The point directly above the focus on the surface
