Unit A - Ecology Flashcards
Stewardship
A way of acting that involves taking personal responsibility for the management and care of something
Environment
All the living and non-living things that exist on Earth as well as their interactions with each other.
Sustainability
In the environment this means that populations of plants, animals, and other living organisms can continue to interact and to reproduce infinitely.
Biodiversity
The number of different types of organisms in the area. The more types of organisms there are in an area.
The more types of organisms there are in an area, the more biodiversity the area has. High levels of biodiversity are associated with a healthy, sustainable environment.
System and components
A group of individual parts that interact as a whole to accomplish a task
Holistic approach
Studying the environment as a whole where the entire system is emphasized.
Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other as well as with their environment.
Ecosystem
A complex self-regulating system in which living things interact with each other and with non -living things.
Biotic Factors
Living organisms such as animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and algae.
Abiotic Factors
Non-living things. They can be physical things, such as rocks, air and water. They can also be things that are measured such as temperature, hours of daylight, and salt concentration in seawater.
Species
A group of similar organisms in an ecosystem.
Population
A group of members of the same species hat live in the same area.
Habitat
The physical environment of an organism
Community
Different populations of different species that live and interact in an area.
Niche
All the interactions of a given species with its ecosystem.
Biome
A large geographical region that contains similar ecosystems. Separated into terrestrial and marine biomes.
Canada’s Main Terrestrial Biomes
- Deciduous Forests
Have trees that lose leaves in autumn, Southern Ontario - Boreal Forests
Tress w/ cones and needles, spruce and fur, most of Northern Ontario. - Tundra
No trees, small shrubs, grasses and lichens, Ontario’s northern coastline: Hudson Bay to the west of James Bay - Grasslands
Few trees but various kinds of grasses and shrubs, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and small part of Alberta - Temperate Coniferous Forests
Different types of needle and cone trees, most of western British Columbia
Aquatic Biomes
- Marine Biomes
High salt content - Freshwater Biomes
Low salt content
Biosphere
The part of the planet including water, land, and air, where life exists.
Atmosphere, Lithosphere and Hydrosphere.
Nutrients
Nutrients are substances that an organism uses to build and repair the cells of its body. Nutrients include carbohydrates, fats and oils, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Nutrient Cycle
The process of moving a nutrient back and forth between biotic and abiotic parts of ecosystems.
Reservoir
Any place where matter accumulates.
Nitrogen Fixation
Converting nitrogen gas into ammonia.
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Bacteria that convert nitrogen gas into ammonia. A critical part in the nitrogen cycle. Only natural nitrogen-fixing process apart from lightning.
Nitrifying bacteria
Bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates which plants absorb through their roots.
Denitrifying bacteria
Bacteria in the soil that convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas, which returns to the atmosphere.
Carbon
An element present in all living things. Only 0.04% of the atmosphere. Reservoirs of carbon: forests, coal, the oceans .
Chlorophyll
The substance that causes plants to be green and used in photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide gas + water + sunlight = glucose + oxygen gas
Photosynthesis
CO2 + water + sunlight
= glucose + O
Cellular Reaporation
Glucose + O = CO2 + water + energy
3 types of biotic interaction
- Competition
- Predation
- Symbiosis
3 types of symbiosis
- mutualism
- commensalism
- parasitism
Examples of limiting factors
Abiotic limiting factors - amount of sunlight - water - soil - air - natural disturbances Biotic limiting factors - competition for resources - presence of predators - reliance on other organisms for survival - the presence of disease-causing organisms
5 major causes of decrease of biodiversity
- Habitat change
- Overexploitation
- Pollution
- Invasive Species
- Climate change
Urban sprawl
Unplanned, disorganized growth of urban and suburban development.
Acid rain
The acid formed in the air by emissions falling.
Soil parts
- Topsoil
- Subsoil
- Bedrock
Soil types
- Loam soil
- Clay soil
- Sandy soil
Acidity
The abiotic factor that is connected to the chemical environment of soil. Measured at the pH scale.
Water quality assessment
- Aquatic Organisms
- Oxygen
- Acidity
- Phosphorus and Nitrogen
- Heavy Metals
- Pesticides
Levels of Risk
Extinct
Extirpated
Threatened
Special Concern
Ecological footprint
The estimate of how much land and water is needed to support your lifestyle.
Environmental steward
Taking care of our natural resources to ensure they’re being used sustainably.
