Ecology- glossary

Question 1

habitat

Answer 1

the place where an organism lives

Question 2

species

Answer 2

group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring

Question 3

population

Answer 3

group of organisms of the same species that live in a given area and time

Question 4

community

Answer 4

all the living organisms living in a habitat

Question 5

ecosystem

Answer 5

a community of organisms and the abiotic factors found in a particular place

Question 6

environment

Answer 6

the surroundings of a living organism. A complete description of an environment includes organisms and non-living things such as rocks and weather conditions

Question 7

biotic factors

Answer 7

factors in an environment due to the organisms, such as amount of food and number of predators, which may affect the survival of organisms

Question 8

abiotic factors

Answer 8

factors in an environment due to the non-living things, such a sweather, rocks and soil, which may affect the survival of organisms

Question 9

biodiversity

Answer 9

the number and variety of species in an ecosystem

Question 10

biome

Answer 10

a large region on the earth generally covered by the same community and all parts having the same weather

Question 11

decomposer

Answer 11

organisms, mostly bacteria and fungi, that break down dead organic material and faeces and return nutrients to the soil

Question 12

quadrat

Answer 12

a square frame used to record plants or sessile animals in a habitat

Question 13

biomass

Answer 13

dry mass (mass without water)