Test #1 Flashcards
population
all the individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a specific area and time.
habitat
the natural environment where a particular species or organism lives and obtains the resources it needs to survive.
niche
the specific role or position that an organism or species plays within its ecosystem, including its interactions with other organisms and its use of resources.
ecosystem
a specific location on Earth characterized by interacting biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
predation
the preying of one animal on others.
commensalism
an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.
mutualism
a relationship between 2 organisms where both benefit.
competition
the interaction where individuals or species vie for the same limited resources.
interspecific competition
a form of competition where individuals of different species compete for the same limited resources in an ecosystem.
intraspecific competition
a form of competition where members of the same species compete for limited resources.
biodiversity
the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
biome
a large geographic region characterized by specific climate conditions, plant and animal life, and soil types.
symbiosis
a close and long-term interaction between two or more different species, where one or more of the species benefits.
abiotic factor
non living item
biotic factor
living item
quantitative data
data that uses numbers
qualitative data
data that uses qualities and characteristics to describe.
control
the constant variable and unchanged throughout the course of the ivnestigation
ecology
the study of living organisms in their nonliving world
ecological hierarchy
species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
biosphere
earth
potential energy
the energy stored
kinetic energy
the energy in movement
1st law of thermodynamics
energy is not created or destroyed.
2nd law of thermodynamics
no reaction is 100% efficient. entropy is created after every transformation.
entropy
disorder and chaos in a system
phototrophs
organisms that use light to perform photosynthesis. (plants, phytoplankton)
chemotrophs
organisms that use chemicals to perform chemosynthesis (bacteria)
heterotrophs
organisms that consume to obtain energy (carnivores and herbivores)
primary consumer
first level heterotroph, eat primary producers
secondary consumer
organism that eats primary consumer
tertiary consumer
organism that eats second level consumers
food chain
a series of who eats who
food web
a diagram of who eats whom for all organisms (the transfer of energy)
gross primary productivity
the rate of photosynthesis taking place in an area
net primary productivity
the biomass left over in a phototroph after photosynthesis and respiration takes place
nitrogen fixation
taking nitrogen in air (N2) and changing to ammonia/um (NH3 and NH4+)
nitrification
changing ammonia into nitrite, nitrate (NO2- & NO3-)
assimilation
organisms use nitrate and ammonium and turn it back into nitrogen in the air.
ammonification
decomposers release ammonia/ammonium (NH3 and NH4+)
dentrification
taking nitrate and ammonium and turning it back into nitrogen
sink
absorbs from the atmosphere and stores the element (ex: carbon)
primary succession
when life colonizes a new area (newly formed volcanic rock).
secondary succession
community change that occurs with land already formed
lichen
a symbiotic relationship of a fungus and an algae
aerobic
using oxygen
anaerobic
using no oxygen
