Ecology Definitions (HL) Flashcards
What is ecology
the study of how living things interact with their environment
What is an ecosystem
groups of living organisms that interact with their environment
eg. grassland
What is a biosphere
the part of the planet containing living things
What is a Population
the number of organisms for one species living in an area
What is a Community
all the different populations living in an area
What is a Habitat
where an animal or plant lives
What are Biotic factors
relate to living factors -
food, competition, predation, humans
What are abiotic factors
relate to non-living factors - temperature, soil , rainfall
What are edaphic factors
relate to the soil -
soil pH, soil temp
What are climatic factors
relate to the weather over a long period of time -
wind, rainfall
What are consumers
organisms that take in food from other organisms
What are producers
organisms that make their own food / carry out photosynthesis
all plants
What is a food chain
shows a sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next
What is a trophic level
a feeding stage in the food chain
What is flora
all plants in an ecosystem
What is fauna
all animals in an ecosystem
What is a primary consumer
eats a producer
What is a secondary consumer
eats a primary consumer
What is a tertiary consumer
eats a secondary consumer
What is a decomposer
breaks down dead organic matter
bacteria, fungi
What is a herbivore
eats plants only
What is an omnivore
eats both plants and animals
What is a carnivore
eats other animals only
What are detritus feeders
feed on dead leaves and dead organic matter
What is a food web
two or more inter-linked food chains
What is a niche
the functional role an organism plays in an ecosystem
What is a pyramid of numbers
represents the number of organisms at each trophic level of a food chain
What is pollution
the release of any harmful substances into the environment
What is a pollutant
the substance that is causing the pollution
What is conservation
the wise management of our environment and the preventing of organisms becoming extinct
What is competition
the struggle between two organisms for a resource in short supply
food, shelter,mates
What is contest competition
the physical contest between two organisms and only one gets the resource
2 deers fighting for female
What is scramble competition
where a number of organisms struggle for a resource but they all get some of the resource but not enough
young seedling plants competing for light and space
What is intra-specific competition
when two organisms of the same species compete
What is inter-specific competition
occurs between organisms of different species
What is predation
the catching, killing and eating of another organism
What is a predator
an organism that catches , kills and eats another organism
What is prey
the organism that has been killed and eaten by the predator
What is symbiosis
occurs when two organisms living in close association with each other and at least one of them benefits
What is parasitism
occurs when one organism lives on another (the host) and causes to harm
What are ectoparasites/exoparasites
live on the host on the outside and cause harm
fleas on a dog
What are endoparasites
live on the host on the inside and cause harm
tapeworm in intestines
What is an adaption
a feature of the organism that increases its chances survival
rabbits run fast to escape from predators
What is nitrogen fixation
the conversion of nitrogen gas into nitrates , ammonia or ammonium
What is nitrification
the conversion of ammonia and ammonium compounds to nitrite and then nitrates
What is denitrification
the conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas
What is nutrient recycling
when carbon or nitrogen are exchanged between living and non living parts of the environment
allows nutrients to be reused
