ECOLOGY DEFINITION FUN!

Question 1

Population

Answer 1

group of organism of the same species living in a particular area

Question 2

carrying capacity

Answer 2

stable size of a population that a habitat can support

Question 3

biotic potential

Answer 3

the max rate at which a species can increase its numbers given unlimited resources and ideal environmental conditions

Question 4

environmental resistance

Answer 4

factors that limit the growth rate of the population ie preventing it from reaching its biotic potential.

Question 5

Renewable resources

Answer 5

eg dead leaves for decomposers produced every autumn

Question 6

Non Renewable

Answer 6

eg population of yeast given a supply of nutrients that is not replaced

Question 7

Pest

Answer 7

organism which causes economic damage to a valuable/ commercial crop

Question 8

succession

Answer 8

sequence of change in species composition in a community over a period of time

Question 9

primary succession

Answer 9

relatively slow process of community development in a previously unoccupied area

Question 10

pioneer species

Answer 10

initial colonising species in a new habitat

Question 11

community (succession)

Answer 11

biotic component of an ecosystem and involving interactions between autotrophic (plant) and heterotrophic (animal) populations

Question 12

ecosystem

Answer 12

community of different species that are independent and interact with each other and their abiotic environment, involving energy flow and nutrient and gas exchanges

Question 13

climatic community

Answer 13

stable end stage of succession

Question 14

biotic community

Answer 14

stable end stage of succession is determined by other organism eg grazing animals

Question 15

climatic community

Answer 15

stable end stage of succession determined by the climate

Question 16

secondary succession

Answer 16

normal primary succession has been interrupted by fire, flooding, wind or human activity. Seeds, soil and roots may be present.

Question 17

Gross primary product

Answer 17

total amount of orange matter produced in photosynthesis

Question 18

Net primary product

Answer 18

GPP - energy used in respiration

growth

Question 19

Why plants only absorb 1% light energy

Answer 19

• chlorophyll only absorb red and blue light and reflect green light
• light missed the chloroplast in the leaves
• light energy used in evaporation of water
• light reflected from the surface of the leaf
• light energy is reflected by clouds.

Question 20

Plants - Herbivores 5-10%

Answer 20

• herbivores do not contain cellulase enzyme … can not digest cellulose results in large amount of faeces
• can not eat roots
• respiration and heat loss
• excretion
• many leaves die in autumn and enter the decomposers food chain

Question 21

herbivores - carnivores 10-20%

Answer 21

• more of the animal can be eaten and digested - however bone and hair difficult to digest
• respiration & heat loss ( endotherms eg birds and mammals)
• excretion eg urea