Intro Info

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

• science that attempts to answer questions about how nature works
• Haeckel 1869; Oikos meaning house/place to live & logos meaning study
• Study of how organisms interact with one another and with their non-living environment of energy and matter
• Usually practiced by examining different ecosystems

Question 2

Ecosystems

Answer 2

communities with groups of different species interacting with one another and their non-living physical and chemical environments

Question 3

Ecosystem Components

Answer 3

Non-living = abiotic, living = biotic

Question 4

Abiotic Physical

Answer 4

Sunlight & shade, average temp, average precipitation & distribution, wind, latitude & altitude, nature of soil, fire, water current, and amount of suspended solid material

Question 5

Abiotic Chemcial

Answer 5

level of water & air in soil, level of plant nutrients dissolved in soil & water, level of natural/artificial toxic substances dissolved in soil moisture & water, salinity of water for aquatic ecosystems, and level of dissolved oxygen in aquatic ecosystems

Question 6

Biotic Autotrophs (producers)

Answer 6

• Organisms that manufacture the organic compounds they need as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from their environment
• green plants in terrestrial
• phytoplankton in aquatic

Question 7

Chemosynthesis

Answer 7

Some producers (specific bacteria) can extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without sunlight

Question 8

Biotic Heterotrophs (consumers)

Answer 8

Organisms that can NOT synthesize the organic nutrients they need and get their nutrients by feeding on the tissues of producers/other consumers

Question 9

Primary Consumer (herbivores)

Answer 9

feed directly on plants/other producers

Question 10

Secondary Consumer (carnivores)

Answer 10

Feed only on consumers

Question 11

Tertiary and higher level Consumers

Answer 11

Feed only on animal-eating animals

Question 12

Omnivores

Answer 12

Feed on plants and animals

Question 13

Detrivores (decomposers and detritus feeders)

Answer 13

Live off detritus (parts of dead organisms, cast off fragments, and waste of living organisms)

Question 14

Native Species

Answer 14

live and thrive in a particular ecosytem

Question 15

Immigrant Species

Answer 15

Migrates into an ecosystem or are deliberately/accidentally introduced by humans

Question 16

Indicator Species

Answer 16

Serves as an early warning that a community/ecosystem is degrading

Question 17

Keystone Species

Answer 17

Loss of this species can lead to sharp population drops and extinction of other species which depend on it

Question 18

Interspecific competition

Answer 18

Competition from one or more species for one or more limited resources

Question 19

Predation

Answer 19

Individual organism of one species (predator) feeds on parts or al of an organism of another species (prey) but does not live in/on them

Question 20

Parasitism

Answer 20

Consumer that feeds on another living organism (host) by living in/on them for most or all of their life

Question 21

Mutualism

Answer 21

Interaction in which both species generally benefit

Question 22

Commensalism

Answer 22

One species benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed

Question 23

Biochemical Cycle

Answer 23

• Nutrients are cycled in the ecosphere and mature ecosystems
• Nutrients move from the environment, to organisms, and back to the environment

Question 24

Carbon Cycle

Answer 24

• Carbon is the basic building block of carbs, fats, proteins, nucleic acids, and other organic compounds

Question 25

Nitrogen Cycle

Answer 25

• Troposphere is 78% nitrogen
• Required to synthesize proteins and nucleic acids
• Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas to other chemical forms useful to plants is nitrogen fixation
• Carried out by cyanobacteria in soil and water, and by rhizobium bacteria living swellings (nodules)

Question 26

Phosphorus Cycle

Answer 26

• Phosphorus is cycled through water, earth’s crust, and living organisms

Question 27

Sulfur Cycle

Answer 27

• About 1/3 of all sulfur compounds and 99% of sulfur dioxide are from human activity

Question 28

Hydrologic Cycle (water cycle)

Answer 28

collects, purifies, and distributes water

Question 29

4 Laws of Ecology (Commoner)

Answer 29

1. Cant throw anything away
2. Cant do just one thing (everything is connected)
3. Nature knows best
4. No such thing as a free lunch

Question 30

Physical Elements of Enviro

Answer 30

• space, landforms, water bodies, climate, soils, rocks, and minerals.
• determine the variable character of human habitat’s opportunities and limitations

Question 31

Biological Elements of Enviro

Answer 31

Plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans

Question 32

Cultural Elements of Enviro

Answer 32

economical, political, and social man-made elements

Question 33

4 Segments of Physical Enviro

Answer 33

• Atmosphere: Protective layer abt 100km thick around the earth. Blanket of gases that protects us from the Sun, sustains life on earth, and regulates temperature
• Hydrosphere: All water sources
• Lithosphere: Outer mantle of the solid earth
• Biosphere: realm of living organisms and their interactions with the environment, viz atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere