Ecology Unit Test Flashcards
Biology
Define ecology
(The study of how an organism interacts with its environment to “make a living” or survive)
Levels of organization
(organism through biosphere)
Small to Large
- Organism (an individual)
- Species (a group of individuals which can breed to produce fertile offspring)
- Population (a species living in a defined area)
- Community (multiple species living within one defined area)
- Ecosystem (all the organisms living in one area including their physical environment)
- Biome (a group of ecosystems which share similar climates and organisms)
- Biosphere (The Earth)
Food chains
(A series of organisms which energy is transferred from one organism to another)
Food webs
(All the “feeding interactions” between all organisms of an ecosystem in which energy and matter are moved)
Trophic levels
(Each level of a food chain or food web)
Producers
(autotrophs – chemosynthesis and photosynthesis
- Producers (Organisms which create their own food)
- Chemosynthesis (The process by which inorganic substances are converted into sugars/food)
- Photosynthesis (The process by which sunlight are converted into sugars/food)
Decomposers
(Consumers/heterotrophs that feed on dead organisms by chemically breaking them down, returning nutrients to soil)
Consumers
(heterotrophs – herbivores, carnivores, omnivores)
- Heterotrophs (Organisms that eat other organisms to obtain food)
- Herbivores (Organisms that only eat producers/autotrophs)
- Carnivores (Organisms that only eat other herbivores)
- Omnivores (Organisms that only eat both producers/autotrophs and heterotrophs)
Three types of ecological pyramids:
energy, biomass, numbers
Also, know what biomass means!
- Biomass (The total amount of living tissue in a trophic level)
- Pyramid of Energy (A diagram which explains how energy is transferred between organisms on different trophic levels)
- Pyramid of Biomass (A diagram which compares the amount of biomass between species on different trophic levels)
- Pyramid of Numbers (A diagram which compares the populations of species on different trophic levels)
10% Rule
(Only 10% of the energy stored in an organism is passed on to the next trophic level. The remaining 90% goes to life processes and the rest is lost as heat)
Biogeochemical cycles
Know each biogeochemical cycle!
How matter [elements] are cycled between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere
- Water Cycle
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Carbon Cycle
Niche
Know its principle as well!
(The role an organism plays in its ecosystem)
- Competitive exclusion principle (No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time)
Greenhouse effect
(caused by greenhouse gasses – know them)
- Greenhouse effect (The warming of the Earth caused by excessive release of greenhouse gases)
- Greenhouse gasses ([Carbon Dioxide and Methane] Gasses which cause the greenhouse effect)
Biotic and abiotic factors
- Biotic factors (Factors which are caused by organisms interacting with one another)
- Abiotic factors (Factors which are caused by organisms interacting with the environment)
Predation
(The act of one organism hunting and killing another, known as prey)