interactions and Ecosystems Flashcards
what is ecology?
a study of relationships between organisms
what are the needs of living things?
Food, habitat air and water.
what does adapted mean?
Well suited
what does adaptation mean?
inherited characteristic
what does ecosystem mean?
interaction of living and non-living things in an environment
what does symbiosis mean?
interactions between organisms of different species
what are the three different types of relationships between organisms?
*mutualism, both organisms benefit. {++}
*Parasitism, one organism benefits and one is affected or harmed. {+,-}
*Commensalism, one organism benefits and the other one neither harmed or affected {+, 0}
what are natural resources?
materials and products that are found in nature
what is the difference between a need and a want?
a NEED is something is something that we NEED to survive and a want is something that we DON’T need but would make life more comfortable
what are the effects of increased human population?
the need for more resources increases and so do our wants and needs, meaning that there will be less in the future
what are the benefits of forest fires?
To ensure that there is enough adequate food for grazing animals. {so some animals don’t over eat}
what does sustainability mean?
resources are being renewed as quickly as they are used and wastes are completely absorbed
what does ecological footprint mean?
land and water needed to supply all the materials and energy you
use and absorb all the wastes you produce
what are the three r’s? and which one has the LEAST impact on the environment?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. ANS; reduce
what does biotic mean?
Biotic – living parts of an ecosystem
what does abiotic mean?
Abiotic – non-living parts of an ecosystem
what is a niche?
Niche – role or activity undertaken by an organism in an ecosystem
what is a producer?
Producer – plants that use Sun’s energy to make their food
what is a consumer?
Consumers – organisms that eat the food made by producers
what is a herbivore?
Herbivore – animals that eat producers
what is a carnivore?
Carnivores – animals that eat other consumers
what is an omnivore?
Omnivores – animals that eat producers and consumers
what is a predator?
Predator – catches and eats organisms of a different species
what is prey?
Prey – organism that is caught and eaten by an organism of a different species
what is a food chain?
Food Chain – shows how energy stored in food passes from organism to organism
what is energy flow?
Energy flow – movement of energy from the Sun passing from one organism to the next
what is a food web?
Food web – interconnected food chains
what is a pyramid of numbers?
Pyramid of numbers – number of organisms at each level of a food chain
what is biomass?
Biomass – total mass of all organisms in an ecosystem
what is a scavenger?
Scavenger – organisms that feed on dead or decaying plant or animal matter
what is a decomposer?
Decomposers – grow on or in dead material and help to break it down
what is the carbon cycle?
- Carbon cycle – shows how carbon is used and reused through the ecosystem
- Burning of fossil fuels - photosynthesis
- Decomposition - dissolved carbon dioxide
- Respiration
- Burning of forests
- Fossil fuels
what is the water cycle?
- Water cycle – movement of water through an ecosystem
o Evaporation – liquid water changes to water vapour
o Transpiration – evaporation from plants’ leaves
o Condensation – water vapour changes to a liquid
o Precipitation – liquid water falls to the earth (rain,snow,etc.)
Ground water – water in the soil
Run-off – water that runs off the ground into lakes, rivers, etc.
what does pollution mean?
- Pollution – substance added to the environment quicker than it can be broken down, stored or recycled in the air, land or water in a non-damaging form
what are pollutants?
- Pollutants – substances that cause pollution
what is acid rain?
- Acid rain – rain that contains higher than normal acid (caused by sulfur and nitrogen)
what is the pH scale?
- pH scale – measures acidity
what is bioaccumulation?
- Bioaccumulation – occurs when pollutants enter the food web and accumulate in
consumers
what is succession?
- Succession – gradual process by which some species replace other species in an
ecosystem
what is primary succession?
- Primary succession – gradual growth of organisms in an area previously bare
what is secondary succession?
- Secondary succession – the gradual growth of organisms in an area that previously had organisms
what is biological control?
- Biological control – using the pest’s natural enemy
what is the difference between exotic and introduced species?
- Exotic or introduced species – species introduced to an environment where they’re not naturally found
what does extinct mean?
- Extinct – no longer exists
what does endangered mean?
- Endangered – numbers are getting low
what is ecosystem monitoring?
- Ecosystem monitoring – way to check the condition of an ecosystem by comparing overtime
what is an indicator species?
- Indicator species – plant or animal species that help to indicate environmental change
what is baseline data?
- Baseline data – starting point to compare changes in the environment
what are permanent plots?
- Permanent plots – study areas to monitor change
what is environmental impact assessment?
- Environmental impact assessment – report that outlines how an activity will affect the environment
