Unit 2: Ecology

Question 1

biosphere

Answer 1

the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth

Question 2

ecosystem

Answer 2

a community of organisms and their abiotic environment

Question 3

population

Answer 3

a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area

Question 4

habitat

Answer 4

the place where an organism usually lives

Question 5

biotic factor

Answer 5

an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activitiesof living organisms

Question 6

abiotic factor

Answer 6

an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms

Question 7

niche

Answer 7

the unique position occupied by a species, both in terms of its function within an ecological community

Question 8

producer

Answer 8

an organism that can makeorganic molecules; a photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food source in an ecosystem

Question 9

biomass

Answer 9

plant material, manure, or any other organic matter that is used as an energy source

Question 10

consumer

Answer 10

an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources

Question 11

herbivore

Answer 11

an organism that eats only plants

Question 12

carnivore

Answer 12

an organism that eats only animals

Question 13

omnivore

Answer 13

an organism eats both plants and animals

Question 14

decomposer

Answer 14

an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms. returns nutrients

Question 15

trophic level

Answer 15

one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples include producers and primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers

Question 16

detritivore

Answer 16

organisms that feed on dead animal/plant remains. Ex) scavenger

Question 17

chemosynthesis

Answer 17

process by which inorganic molecules are used to create organic molecules. Performed by autotrophs in many deep sea communities

Question 18

biomagnification

Answer 18

increasing concentrations of a chemical in organisms at higher trophic levels due to reduced biomass

Question 19

food chain

Answer 19

the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of teh feeding patterns of a series of organisms

Question 20

food web

Answer 20

a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosytem

Question 21

population density

Answer 21

the number of individuals of teh same species that live in a given unit of area

Question 22

geographic distribution/dispersion

Answer 22

in ecology, the pattern of distribution of organisms in a population (uniform, random, clumped)

Question 23

exponential growth

Answer 23

a model of population growth with a constant and unlimited growth rate. Occurs when unlimited resources are present in the population

Question 24

limiting factor

Answer 24

an environmental factor that prevents an organism or population from reaching its full potential of distribution or activity (density independent and dependent)

Question 25

logistic growth

Answer 25

a model of population growth in which population growth rate slows due to limiting factors/lack of resources. Often shows a carrying capacity

Question 26

carrying capacity

Answer 26

the largest population that an environment can support at any given time. Represented by “K” on a graph