Unit 7. Ecology Flashcards
List the traits all living things must have.
- Being composed of one or more cells
- Have a metabolism (consume and produce energy)
(M. R. S. C. G. R. E. N)
M - Movement
R - Respiration
S - Stimulus
C - Control
G - Growth
R - Reproduction
E - Excursion
N - Nutrition
Define abiotic.
Non-living factors in an environment. (Ex. water, sunlight, etc.)
Define biotic.
Living factors in an environment. (Ex. animals, plants, bacteria, etc)
All the living and nonliving things in an area would be called a(n)…?
Ecosystem
Binomial nomenclature names organisms after their…?
Two most specific classification levels
List the six levels of ecological organization, from most exclusive to least exclusive.
- Organism
- Population
- Community
- Ecosystem
- Biome
- Biosphere
Which level of ecological organization refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in the same place?
Population
What are the 6 stages of the hydrologic cycle?
- Precipitation
- Infiltration
- Runoff
- Evaporation
- Transpiration
- Condensation
What’s the chemical name for water?
H20
What is one way humans impact the water cycle?
Pollution
List and describe 5 stages of the carbon cycle.
- Photosynthesis - Plants get C02 and use it to make sugar.
- Cellular Respiration - C02 is released in the atmosphere as a waste.
- Decomposition - decomposers break down carbon from dead organisms and recycle it in the soil.
- Fossilization - Converts carbon from dead organisms through heat and compression.
- Combustion - C02 is released in the atmosphere from burning.
What is the biggest way humans mess up/negatively impact the carbon cycle?
Combustion. When wood or fossil fuels are burned, it causes a massive amount of CO2 to be released in the atmosphere.
List 3 places you can find carbon.
Proteins (muscle, skin)
Nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)
Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
Name a step in the carbon cycle that returns carbon to the atmosphere.
Cellular respiration
What two macromolecules is nitrogen a part of?
Proteins and nucleic acids
What is the chemical formula for atmospheric nitrogen?
N2 (elemental nitrogen)
What is the living organism involved in EVERY step of the nitrogen cycle?
Bacteria
Which step of the nitrogen cycle returns atmospheric nitrogen to the atmosphere?
Denitrification
What is the only step of the water cycle that involves living organisms?
Transpiration
Which cycle(s) has/have a “decomposition” stage?
The Carbon Cycle, and The Nitrogen Cycle
What living organisms remove carbon from the atmosphere?
Plants
What organism is most essential to the nitrogen cycle?
Bacteria
What cycle does transpiration belong in?
Water cycle
What cycle does photosynthesis belong in?
Carbon cycle
What cycle does denitrification belong in?
Nitrogen cycle
What cycle does cellular respiration belong in?
Carbon cycle
What cycle does combustion belong in?
Carbon cycle
What cycle does infiltration belong in?
Water cycle
What cycle does precipitation belong in?
Water cycle
What cycle does decomposition belong in?
Nitrogen cycle
What cycle does consumption belong in?
Nitrogen cycle
List a living organism and how it affects the water cycle.
Plants absorb groundwater and return it to the environment through their leaves. Less than half of all water enters the water cycle through plants. Plants prevent water runoff, which minimizes soil erosion.
List a living organism and how it affects the carbon cycle.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide, store it in various places, and release it back into the atmosphere when they decay.
List a living organism and how it affects the nitrogen cycle.
Bacteria converts nitrogen into ammonia, which is absorbed by plants. It also converts nitrogen to N2 to release it back in the atmosphere.
Which cycle is most affected by a variety of living organisms?
Nitrogen cycle
Which cycle is least affected by living organisms?
Water cycle
List an example of a renewable resource.
Oxygen
List an example of a nonrenewable resource.
Fossil fuels
What is the goal of agricultural technology?
To increase food productivity
What is the consequence of using nuclear energy?
Excess nitrogen which alters soil and farm machinery which pollutes.
Where do CFCs come from?
Foam packing materials and refrigerant
What are two examples of alternative energy technology?
Solar energy, and wind energy
What is the greenhouse effect, and what are the greenhouse gases?
It’s the warming effect when gases trap heat in the atmosphere.
Green house gases are;
. CO2
. O2
. CH4
. H2O
How do humans threaten biodiversity?
Pollution, habitat destruction and fragmentation, and introduction of invasive species.
What are the two types of succession?
Primary succession and secondary succession
Why does succession occur?
Due to the changes in the physical environment and population of species. Or changes in conditions in an environment, like forest fires or human activity.
Give an example of pioneer species
Mosses
What is climax community?
A mature and stable community of plants and animals
What’s the difference between primary succession and secondary succession?
Primary succession is building a new ecosystem from scratch. Secondary succession is recovering an ecosystem after disturbance.
What is called a keystone species and why?
Predators are keystone species. A keystone species is a species that holds the ecosystem together; it’s critical for survival of other species in the ecosystem.
What two forms does competition come in?
Interspecific and intraspecific
What is a niche?
All the things an organism needs and does within its habitat
In competitive exclusion principle, if one organism wins the fight, what happens to the other?
The other one loses and has to find a different niche to occupy.
Define parasitism
One organism (parasite) benefits from the relationship while the other (host) is harmed.
Define commensalism
When one organism is benefitted while the other is unaffected (neither benefitted or harmed)
Define mutualism
When both organism invoke benefit
