Ecosystems and Ecology

Question 1

Species

Answer 1

a group of organisms sharing common characteristics that interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Question 2

Habitat

Answer 2

the environment in which a species normally lives

Question 3

Niche

Answer 3

the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions to which a organism or population responds

Question 4

Fundamental niche

Answer 4

the full range of conditions and resources which a species could survive or reproduce

Question 5

Realized niche

Answer 5

the actual conditions and resources in which a species exists

Question 6

Abiotic factors

Answer 6

non living factors that influence the organisms and ecosystems

Question 7

Biotic factors

Answer 7

living factors such as the interactions between organisms

Question 8

Population

Answer 8

group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time which are capable of interbreeding

Question 9

Limiting factors

Answer 9

factors that slow population growth as it approaches the carrying capacity of a system.

Question 10

Intraspecific competition

Answer 10

competition over food, habitat and mates by members of the same species

Question 11

Interspecific competition

Answer 11

individuals of different species competeting over food and habitats

Question 12

Predation

Answer 12

when one animal, the predator, eats another animal

Question 13

Herbivory relationships

Answer 13

an animal (herbivore) eating a green plant. some plants have defense mechanisms against this

Question 14

Parasitism

Answer 14

a relationship between two species in which one species (the parasite) lives in or on the other, gaining food from it

Question 15

Mutualism

Answer 15

a relation between two or more species in which all benefit and none suffer

Question 16

Carrying capacity

Answer 16

the number of species which a region can support without environmental degradation

Question 17

What are S and J curves

Answer 17

graphs that show population change

Question 18

S curves

Answer 18

Start with exponential growth. Above a certain population, the growth slows down, resulting in a population of constant size

Question 19

J curves

Answer 19

the population grows exponentially at first, then suddenly collapses. The collapses are called diebacks. The reason diebacks happen is because the population exceeds the carrying capacity

Question 20

Community

Answer 20

group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat

Question 21

ecosystem

Answer 21

a community and the physical environment it interacts with

Question 22

respiration

Answer 22

the conversion of organic matter into carbon dioxide and water in all living organisms

Question 23

photosynthesis

Answer 23

produces the raw material for producing biomass

Question 24

producers

Answer 24

typically plants or algae and produce their own food using photosynthesis

Question 25

bioaccumulation

Answer 25

the build up of persistent/non biodegradable pollutants within an organism

Question 26

biomagnification

Answer 26

the increase in concentration of persistent or non biodegradble pollutants along a food chain

Question 27

food chain

Answer 27

the flow of energy from one organism to the next. a food chain shows the feeding relationships between species in an ecosystem

Question 28

types of producers

autotrophs

Answer 28

green plants which make their own food from carbon dioxide and water using energy from sunlight

Question 29

types of producers

chemosynethetic organisms

Answer 29

organisms which make their own food from other simple compounds, do not require sunlight and are often bacteria found in deep oceans

Question 30

consumers

Answer 30

feed on autotrophs to obtain energy.

Question 31

pyramid of biomass

Answer 31

the biomass (mass of each individual x number of individuals) at each trophic level

units are in units of mass per unit area

Question 32

pyramid of productivity

Answer 32

shows the rate of flow of energy or biomass through each trophic level.

Question 33

Net primary productivity =

Answer 33

gross primary productivity - respiratory losses

Question 34

gross primary productivity

Answer 34

The total amount of carbon compounds produced by photosynthesis of plants in an ecosystem in a given period of time.