Unit 2 List 1 Ecology GLW

Question 1

Autotrophs

Answer 1

an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

Question 2

Abiotic Factors

Answer 2

a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment

Question 3

Biotic Factors

Answer 3

the living components (organisms) that shape up the environment

Question 4

Bioaccumulation

Answer 4

an increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical’s concentration in the environment

Question 5

Carbon Sink

Answer 5

a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Question 6

Carnivore

Answer 6

an animal that feeds on flesh.

Question 7

Commensalism

Answer 7

an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Question 8

Competition

Answer 8

a set of interactions between organisms and species to get a limited resource.

Question 9

Consumer

Answer 9

a person or thing that eats or uses something.

Question 10

Decomposer

Answer 10

an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.

Question 11

Ecosystem

Answer 11

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 12

Energy Pyramid

Answer 12

a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem

Question 13

Food Chain

Answer 13

a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.

Question 14

Food Web

Answer 14

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

Question 15

Habitat

Answer 15

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Question 16

Herbivore

Answer 16

an animal that eats only plants

Question 17

Heterotrophs

Answer 17

an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.

Question 18

Leaching

Answer 18

drain away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid, especially rainwater.
“the nutrient is quickly leached away”

Question 19

Limiting Factor

Answer 19

anything that constrains a population’s size and slows or stops it from growing

Question 20

Mutualism

Answer 20

symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.

Question 21

Niche

Answer 21

the role an organism plays in a community

Question 22

Ocean Acidification

Answer 22

a change in the properties of ocean water that can be harmful for plants and animals

Question 23

Omnivore

Answer 23

an animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin.

Question 24

Parasitism

Answer 24

the practice of living as a parasite in or on another organism.

Question 25

Phytoplankton

Answer 25

plankton consisting of microscopic plants.

Question 26

Pioneer Species

Answer 26

the species that first colonize new habitats created by disturbance

Question 27

Population

Answer 27

a group of organisms of the same species living in the same geographic area at the same time

Question 28

Predation

Answer 28

the preying of one animal on others.

Question 29

Predator

Answer 29

an animal that naturally preys on others.

Question 30

Prey

Answer 30

an animal taken by a predator as food

Question 31

Primary Succession

Answer 31

when a new area of land is populated by a group of species for the first time

Question 32

Producer

Answer 32

a person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or commodities for sale

Question 33

Secondary Succession

Answer 33

when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance

Question 34

Species Overshoot

Answer 34

the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year

Question 35

Sustainability

Answer 35

the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.