Terms

Question 1

Abiotic

Answer 1

Refers to physical and chemical conditions of habitats. Ex: temperature, soil ph, nutrients, light energy etc.

Question 2

Competition

Answer 2

Interaction between species over a limiting resource that negatively effects the growth rate of one or both populations.

Question 3

Age Class

Answer 3

Group of individuals of the same age in a population

Question 4

Alluvial

Answer 4

Refers to sediment deposited by running water

Question 5

Anaerobic

Answer 5

Environment lacking oxygen

Question 6

Association

Answer 6

Group of species sharing the same place, or in the case of vegetation, a group of co-occurring plant species.

Question 7

Autecology

Answer 7

Branch of ecology that focuses on the relationships between individuals of a species and their abiotic environment.

Question 8

Autotroph

Answer 8

Organism derives energy from non organic sources (chemicals or light)

Question 9

Biodiversity

Answer 9

Abundance, Variety and Genetic Variability of plants and animals in nature.

Question 10

Biomass

Answer 10

Dry weight per unit area of living matter

Question 11

Biome

Answer 11

Major vegetation association (distinguished by plant growth form rather than species)

Question 12

Carrying capacity

Answer 12

size of a population that can be sustained over time by a given environment.

Question 13

Climax community

Answer 13

Stable community where vegetation is in equilibrium with the climate over many generations.

Question 14

Community

Answer 14

Group of species occurring together in a defined area

Question 15

Decomposition

Answer 15

Break down of organic matter into its chemical (ultimately inorganic) constituents

Question 16

Density

Answer 16

Individuals per unit area or volume

Question 17

Diversity

Answer 17

Variety or richness of species composition in a community

Question 18

Ecology

Answer 18

Study of interactions between organisms and the physical and biological components of its environment.

Question 19

Ecosystem

Answer 19

Sum of biotic and abiotic components of a defined system or region

Question 20

Ecotone

Answer 20

zone of transition between 2 adjoining habitat/veg types

Question 21

Endemic species

Answer 21

Species found in a particular region and nowhere else

Question 22

Equitability

Answer 22

Uniformity of the abundance of species in a community

Question 23

Food web

Answer 23

interaction of a number of food chains in an ecosystem

Question 24

GPP

Answer 24

Total rate of accumulation of energy by photosynthesis before subtracting for respiration

Question 25

Macroclimate

Answer 25

climate at a broad regional scale ( influenced by factors like elevation latitude and continentality)

Question 26

Microclimate

Answer 26

Climate at local scale (influenced by topography and vegetation)

Question 27

Phenotype

Answer 27

physical / physiological characteristics of an individual

Question 28

Quadrat

Answer 28

sampling unit of a site under investigation

Question 29

Sere

Answer 29

entire sequence of stages in succesion

Question 30

Stochastic

Answer 30

refers to patterns produced by random effects

Question 31

Synecology

Answer 31

relationship of organisms/populations to biotic factors in environment

Question 32

Mesic

Answer 32

referring to habitat in which water is neither over abundant or limited.