Unit B Sam D Emily S and Emily W Flashcards
What is ecology.
The study of ecosystems
Define ecotone
Transition area containing organisms from bordering ecosystems.
What is an ecological niche
An organisms role in an ecosystem
What is included in a niche
Place in food web, habitat and breeding area
Define biome
Large region with specific climate, plants and animals
What are Canada’s four terrestrial biomes
Tundra, taiga, deciduous, grassland
What are the two aquatic biomes
Freshwater, marine or salt water
Factors affecting terrestrial ecosystems
Soil water temp and sunlight
What are the four layers of soil
Litter, topsoil, subsoil, bedrock
Factors affecting aquatic ecosystems
Chemical environment, temperature and sunlight, water pressure, seasonal variations
What is biotic potential
The maximum number of offspring that a species could produce if resources were unlimited
Factors that make up biotic potential
Birth potential, capacity for survival, breeding frequency, length of productive life
What are limiting factors
Factors in the environment that could prevent organisms from reaching their full biotic potential
What is carrying capacity
The maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported at the time by an ecosystem
What are the four factors of limits of tolerance
Law of minimum, law of tolerance, density dependant and independent factors.
What is taxonomy
The science of classifying organisms according to their relationships
What is binomial nomenclature
A two name method of naming organisms
What are the advantages of binomial nomenclature
Gives scientists a universal language
What are the levels of classification
Kingdom, phyla, class, order, family, genus, species
What are the six kingdoms
Eubacteria, archaebacteria, Protista, fungi, plantae, animalia
Define phylogeny
The history of the evolution of a group of organisms
What is radio metric dating
A technique used to determine the age of a rock or fossil based on half lives
Define endemic
A term used to describe species that are found in one area only
What are homologous features
Features with similar structure different functions
