Ecosystems Quiz Flashcards
Define Ecology
a system with components and interactions
Define Species
a group of similar organisms in an ecosystem. members of the same species can reproduce a viable offspring
Define Populations
a group of members of the same species that live in the same area
Define Community
made up of populations of different species that live and interact in an area
Define Niche
all the interactions of a given species with its ecosystems
What are the Four Spheres?
lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere
What is the Lithosphere?
made up of everything on earth’s surface, outermost shell of the earth
What is the Hydrosphere?
made up of the water on earths surface
What is the Atmosphere?
multiple layers of gases held in place by gravity
What is the Biosphere?
made up of all the life on earth
Define Ecosystem
an ecosystem is a complex system in which living things interact with each other and nonliving things
What is an Abiotic Factor?
nonliving factors or influences on organisms
What is a Biotic Factor?
factors caused by the presence and roles of other living things
What is Biodiversity?
the number of different types or variety of organisms in an area
What is a Biome?
small ecosystems that exist in larger ecosystems
What are the 5 Major Biomes?
deciduous forest, grassland, boreal forest, tundra, and temperate coniferous forest
What are the Characteristics of the Deciduous Forests?
- found in southern and eastern canada
- dominated by deciduous trees (lose their leaves)
- high biodiversity
- well defined winter and summer
- high precipitation
What are the Characteristics of the Boreal Forests?
- found north of deciduous forests
- dominated by coniferous trees (cones and needles)
- low biodiversity
What are the Characteristics of the Tundra?
- found in the arctic
- no trees
- lowest biodiversity
- permafrost (soil that never thaws)
What are the Characteristics of the Grasslands?
- eastern manitoba to the rocky mountains
- few trees but covered in grasses and shrubs
- home to herbivores
What are the Characteristics of the Temprate Coniferous Forests?
- western bc
- high precipitation
- warm wet summers and mild winters
- diff types of needle and cone bearing tress thank coniferous forests
What are the Two Aquatic Biomes?
marine and freshwater
What are the Characteristics of a Marine Biome?
- ocean, coral reefs, ocean floor, intertidal zones
- hudson’s bay, james bay
- high salt content
What are the Characteristics of a Freshwater Biome?
- lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands
- great lakes, at lawrence river
- very low salt content
Define Nutrients
substances that an organism uses to build a repair of the cells of its body
What is the Nutrient Cycle?
the process of moving the nutrient back-and-forth between the biotic and abiotic parts of ecosystems
matter can remain in one place for a long time, any place or matter accumulates is called a reservoir
What is the Water Cycle?
- the sun heats the surface of the water, and it evaporates into the atmosphere
- as it cools, it consents to form clouds
- then it falls to earth as precipitation
- as it hits the ground, it runs off or collection, streams and larger bodies of water
- some water soak through the soil (seepage) and collect in underground lakes, called aquifers
- some water is taken up by plants, this could be released back into the atmosphere by transpiration
What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
animals get the nitrogen they need by eating plants or animals. when they digest nitrate, a byproduct is ammonia. bacteria and fungi and soil breakdown ammonia from waste and dead organisms and convert it into nitrates and nitrites. these are released into the soil where they can be absorbed by plants. electrifying bacteria in the soil convert nitrates into nitrogen, gas, which returns to the atmosphere
What are the 3 Ways Nitrogen can be Fixed?
- nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil
- nitrogen fixing bacteria in plants
- lightning
Explain Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria in Soil
nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil coverts nitrogen to ammonia
nitrifying bacteria in soil converts ammonia into nitrates then nitrates
Explain Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria in Plants
plants called legumes have nodules in their roots that house nitrogen fixing bacteria. the bacteria converts nitrogen directly into nitrate
Explain Lightning
lightning combines nitrogen gas and oxygen in the atmosphere to make nitrate (it is only responsible for 1%)
What are the Two Most Important Carbon Reservoirs?
photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Define the Process of Photosynthesis
a small fraction of sunlight that reaches earth is absorbed by chlorophyl a substance in plants that converts sunlight energy into chemical energy, which is then used for all the processes in their selves
carbon dioxide + water + sunlight = glucose + oxygen
Define the Process of Cellular Respiration
cellular respiration is the process used to obtain energy from glucose
glucose + oxygen = carbon dioxide + water + energy
What is the Symbol Used for Nitrogen Gas?
N2
What is the Symbol Used for Ammonia?
NH3
What is the Symbol Used for Nitrate?
NO3-
What is the Symbol Used for Nitrite?
NO2-
Define Producer
organisms that carry out photosynthesis to obtain energy
Define Autotroph
organisms that make their own food
Define Consumer
organisms that eat other organisms to obtain energy
Define Heterotrophs
organisms that cannot produce their own food
Define Primary Consumers
always eat producers
Define Secondary Consumers
feed on primary consumers
Define Tertiary Consumers
feed on secondary consumers
What is a Herbivore?
an animal that only eats plants
What is an Omnivore?
eats both plants and animals
Define Carnivores
eat mainly meat
Define Scavengers
a type of carnivore that eats the remains of dead animals
Define Detritivores
feed on organic matter
Define Decomposers
animals that breakdown organic matter and release the nutrients back into the ecosystem
What is a Food Chain?
show us the feeding relationships among organisms, starting with a producer
What is a Food Web?
shows complicated, including relationships, interconnected, food chains
What is an Energy Pyramid?
shows the amount of available energy, the producers and consumers contain as energy flows through the ecosystem
as the food chain goes on, the organisms obtain 10% of the energy of the previous organism
What is a Population?
the number of members of a species in the same area or habit
What is Equilibrium?
when the number of births are equal to the number of deaths in a population
What is Carrying Capacity?
the max number of individuals that an ecosystem can support without reducing its ability to support future generations at the same species
Define Limiting Factors
factors that prevent an increase in the number of organisms in a population, or prevents them from moving into new habitats
What are some Abiotic Factors?
- amount of sunlight, water, soil, air
- storms, fire, drought
- human disturbances
What are some Biotic Factors?
- competition amoung other organisms for resources
- presence of predators
- reliance on other organisms
- presence of disease causing organisms
Define Competition
two or more organisms competing for the same resource
Define Predation
one organism eats another to obtain food, pray animals, adapt to avoid being eaten. speed, physical defences and memory are avoidance techniques. sharp senses, type of movement, claws are adaptions that make predators more successful at catching prey
Define Symbosis
close interaction between 2 diff species
Define Mutualism
both species benefit
Define Commensalism
one species benefits, and the other is not harmed, or does not benefit
Define Parasitism
one species benefits, and the other is harmed
