Ecology

Question 1

Biosphere

Answer 1

•The volume of the earth’s surface where
organisms can be found.
• It extends from the depths of the ocean (11km
below sea level) to at least the highest plant
communities (6.2km)

Question 2

Biome

Answer 2

•The biosphere is made up of several types of
biome.
• These are classified due to their major
vegetation types, for example TUNDRA or
TROPICAL RAINFOREST.

Question 3

Ecosystem

Answer 3

• An Ecosystem is a part of a biome.
• Biomes themselves are far too large to study so
ecology work tends to be based around a
particular ecosystem.
• Each ecosystem has a characteristic set of plants,
animals and microbes.
• The organisms in an ecosystem form a self-
sufficient unit in balance with 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

Organism/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

Somewhere that supports life for a living thing

Question 8

Interdependence

Answer 8

Within a community each species depends on other 
species.
They depend on each other for:
- Food
- Shelter
- Pollination
- Mates
- Seed dispersal  etc.

Question 9

Biotic factors

Answer 9

living factors: e.g. availability of food,
predators, pathogens, one species outcompeting another
so that the numbers are no longer sufficient to breed.

Question 10

Abiotic factors

Answer 10

non-living factors: e.g. temperature, light
intensity, moisture levels, oxygen levels, soil pH and
mineral content, wind intensity, carbon dioxide levels for
plants, oxygen levels for aquatic animals.