ecosystems Flashcards
ecology
the study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment
biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or within a
particular habitat
population
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographic location
community
a group of interacting populations of different species in the same geographical region
ecosystems
multiple communities interacting with one another and their physical environment
biotic factor
a property of the environment relating to living things. Examples include predator- prey relationships, competition, and symbiotic relationships
abiotic factor
a property of the environment relating to non- living things. Examples include temperature, nutrient availability, and water availability
cell organism population community ecosystem
population size
the number of individuals in a population
carrying capacity
the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely
population distribution
the range of geographical areas that members of a population can be found in
population density
the number of individuals in a population per unit area
keystone species
a species whose effects on an ecosystem are greater than expected relative to its population size
apex predator
a predator that has no natural predators and is at the top of its food chain
species richness
the number of different species in a region – this is the total number of species (both plant and animal) that you counted for each location.
grasslands biotic factors
grass (producer)
- rabbits, mice (primary consumers)
- snakes and foxes (secondary consumers)
grasslands abiotic factors
- higher sunlight
- higher temps
- fertile soil
- low rainfall
grasslands adaptions
hooves for running on plains,
- flat teeth and enzymes for digesting grasses,
- light brown fur colour for camouflage in dry grasses;
- Small burrowing animals have large front claws for digging holes
- a nocturnal circadian rhythm for avoiding predators.
swamp biotic factors
- fish
- frogs
- submerged vegetation
- insects
swamp abiotic factors
- water (slow moving)
- soil (saturated)
- sunlight (
-air
swamp adaptions
webbed feet,
- a second clear eyelid that can act like goggles when swimming underwater,
- and camouflage colouring of fur or skin.
indigenous management techniques
Manage fire (low-impact fires)
- clear shrubs
- Promote various species of plant
- break up land reducing the intensity of wildfires
- seeds for germination
- When hunting and gathering they would not deplete plants and animals entirely, to protect the populations
