Interactions and Ecosystems Flashcards
What does an ecologist study
Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them. An ecologist studies the relationship between living things and their habitats.
What is ecology
the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
What are the 4 things a living thing needs to survive?
Exchange of Gases
Water
Nutrition
Suitable Habitat
What is a niche
An organisms job.
What are the 2 different types of adaptations?
Learned
Inherited
What is Symbiosis?
When two or more species live closely
together in a relationship that lasts over
time, symbiosis occurs.
3 types of relationships organisms have
Parasitism
Commensalism
Mutualism
What is commensalism?
Give an example
a relationship between 2 organism where 1 benefits and 1 isnt harmed nor benefitted
ex. a fish hiding in plants in the ocean to hide from its pedators
What is mutualism?
Give an example.
a relationship between 2 organisms where both benefit
ex. a bird eating the bacteria off a crocodile’s mouth
What is parasitism?
Give an example.
A relationship between 2 organism where 1 is harmed and the other benefits
ex. worms in a rabbit.
What are natural resources?
resources found in nature ( not made by man )
What is a need vs want
A need is something required to live ( water, food, suitable habitat, air )
A want is something that you want ( new shoes )
What is sustainability?
The resources from the environment are being replaced as quickly as they are being used.
What is your ecological footprint?
How much land is required to meet your needs
Difference between abiotic and biotic?
Abiotic is non living like rocks
Biotic is living things like humans
2 main types of Niches
Consumer
Producer
3 types of Consumers
Herbivores-eat only plants
Carnivores-eat only animals
Omnivores-eat plants and animals
Decomposer vs Scavenger
Decomposer- grow on the dead organism and absorb the nutrients like a worm
Scavenger- feed on the dead organism like a raccoon
Food web vs food chain
Food web is many food chains interlocking with each other
Food Chain is one direct relation of energy pass
What is Biomass?
The total of all organisms in an ecosystem as you go higher up the number decreases.
Predator vs prey
Predators hunt prey for a food source.
Prey mostly eat plants
What are the 4 main parts of the water cycle?
Evaporation
Precipitation
Condensation
Transpiration
What is evaporation?
The process of which liquid changes to a water vapour
What is precipitation
The water becoming rain, sleet, hail, snow and falling back down to Earth
What is condensation?
The process of which the water vapour changes to a liquid in the sky
What is transpiration?
The process of which water is taken up in the plants roots and the leaves absorb it.
What is the difference between Primary Succession and Secondary Succession?
Primary is growing an ecosystem on land that is brand new
Secondary is growing an ecosystem on land that had a natural disturbance on it.
What is a introduced Specie
A specie brought from a different location not meant to be there
What is an endangered specie
A specie that is dying and there are few alive
4 types of ecosystem monitoring
Physical
Chemical
Biological
Environmental
What is physical monitoring
Uses satellites to track land changes
What is Environmental monitoring
tracks changes in climate, temperature, and weather patterns
What is Chemical monitoring
assess the quality of air, water, soil
What is Biological monitoring
tracks the changes in population of organisms and species
