Biology ecology study guide – Flashcards
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ecology
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Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
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biosphere
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Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.
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species
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A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
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population
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A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
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community
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A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
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ecosystem
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A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
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biome
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A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
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autotroph
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An organism that makes its own food
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producer
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An organism that can make its own food.
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photosynthesis
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Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.
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chemosynthesis
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Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates
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heterotroph
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An organism that cannot make its own food.
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consumer
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An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms
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herbivore
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A consumer that eats only plants.
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carnivore
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A consumer that eats only animals.
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omnivore
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An animal that eats both plants and animals
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detritivore
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organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
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decomposer
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An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
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food chain
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A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
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food web
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A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains
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trophic level
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Each step in a food chain or food web
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ecological pyramid
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diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
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biomass
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A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region
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biogeochemical cycle
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process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
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evaporation
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Liquid to gas
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transpiration
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Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant
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nutrient
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Compounds in food that the body requires for proper growth, maintenance, and functioning
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nitrogen fixation
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Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
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denitrification
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Conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas
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primary productivity
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rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem
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limiting nutrient
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single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly, limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem
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algal bloom
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an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient
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biotic factor
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Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
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abiotic factor
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Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of an organism's habitat.
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habitat
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Place where an organism lives
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niche
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Full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions
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resource
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A substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use.
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competition
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A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource; for example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. It may be intraspecific or interspecific.
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predation
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An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.
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symbiosis
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A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.
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mutualism
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A relationship between two species in which both species benefit
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commensalism
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A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
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parasitism
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A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed
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ecological succession
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gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance
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primary succession
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An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed
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pioneer species
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First species to populate an area during primary succession
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secondary succession
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Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil
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population density
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Number of individuals per unit area
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immigration
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Migration to a new location
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emigration
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Migration from a location
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exponential growth
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Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate
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logistic growth
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Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth
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carrying capacity
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Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support
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limiting factor
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Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.
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density-dependent
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limiting factor that depends on population size
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density-independent
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factor unrelated to population density that limits a population
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biodiversity
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The amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.
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ecosystem diversity
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variety of habitats, living communities, and ecological processes in the living world
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species diversity
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The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community.
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genetic diversity
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The range of genetic material present in a gene pool or population of a species.
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extinction
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A term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.
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endangered species
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A species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction
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habitat fragmentation
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Splitting of ecosystems into small fragments
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biological magnification
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Increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web
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invasive species
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plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native
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conservation
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Protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment
