Ecology & Ecosystems

Question 1

Ecosystem

Answer 1

Interaction of organisms and their environment.

Question 2

Abiotic Factors

Answer 2

Nonliving factors - determine what type of organisms can survive in an environment (temp, light).

Question 3

Biotic Factors

Answer 3

Living factors - all the living organisms (plants & animals) in the environment.

Question 4

Group Organization

Answer 4

individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

Question 5

Niche

Answer 5

The role a species plays in its ecosystem (all the components of an organisms life)

Question 6

Competitive Exclusion Principal

Answer 6

Two species cannot occupy a niche for a long period of time.

Question 7

Photosynthesis

Answer 7

using solar energy & inorganic matter to make molecules.

Question 8

Chemosynthesis

Answer 8

using inorganic molecules from volcanic vents as an energy source to convert inorganic carbon to organic molecules (nitrifying bacteria)

Question 9

Consumers

Answer 9

Carnivores, Herbivores, Omnivores, and Decomposers

Question 10

consumers and autotrophs

Answer 10

organic molecules are broken down to release ATP for growth, repair, and reproduction.

Question 11

Food web/Food Chain

Answer 11

energy moves generally in one direction

Question 12

Energy Pyramid

Answer 12

shows energy available from previous group (10% of energy is passed on, 90% is used for life processes or lost as heat). Each level is called a tropic level.

Question 13

can an organism be both a second and third consumer?

Answer 13

yes

Question 14

1st Law: Conservation of Energy

Answer 14

Total energy of universe is constant, it just changes form - so can’t create own energy (energy is not recycled in a food chain).

Question 15

2nd Law

Answer 15

Amount of entropy (disorder) is always increasing. Living organisms have a constant input of energy so they don’t head toward entropy.

Question 16

Matter in ecosystem

Answer 16

used to build living things, recycled within and between ecosystems, originates from earth water and air.

Question 17

Water Cycle

Answer 17

biological interactions include transpiration and respiration.

Question 18

Carbon Cycle

Answer 18

building blocks of all organic molecules. Fixation using carbon dioxide to make organic compounds.

Question 19

Nitrogen cycle

Answer 19

important in protein production; plants use nitrogen for metabolism.
Fixation - N^2 is turned into ammonium by bacteria and decomposers.

Question 20

Competition (-/-)

Answer 20

organisms attempt to get the same resources at the same time and in the same place (competitive exclusion principal)

Question 21

Predation (+/-)

Answer 21

Keeps organisms in check by controlling populations of prey so they don’t overtax the environment. Same organisms have adapted to predation through camouflage, mimicry, etc.

Question 22

Parasitism

Answer 22

parasite benefits human doesn’t
(+/-)

Question 23

Mutualism

Answer 23

Both organisms benefit off of eachother (+/+)

Question 24

Commensalism

Answer 24

One organism benefits off of another and the other doesn’t benefit or lose (+/0)

Question 25

Primary Succession

Answer 25

begins on bare rock, glacial deposits or lake bed.

Question 26

Secondary Succession

Answer 26

begins on soil from which previous community has been removed.