Questions and Answers
What is the term for the part of Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and air?
biosphere
What do you call a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring?
species
What is the term for a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area?
population
What do you call an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area?
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What is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment?
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What term describes all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment?
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What do you call a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms?
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What is any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact called?
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What term is used for physical, or nonliving, factors that shape an ecosystem?
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What do you call an organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds?
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What is the first producer of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms?
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What is the process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates?
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What is the process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates?
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What do you call an organism that obtains food by consuming other living things?
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What term describes an organism that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply?
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What is an organism that obtains energy by eating animals called?
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What term is used for organisms that obtain energy by eating only plants?
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What do you call an animal that consumes the carcasses of other animals?
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What is an organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals known as?
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What do you call an organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter?
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What is an organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter called?
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What is the term for a series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten?
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What are photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean called?
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What do you call the network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem?
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What are small free-floating animals that form part of plankton called?
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What is each step in a food chain or food web referred to as?
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What is an illustration of the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web?
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What term describes the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level?
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What are the six different major levels of organization that ecologists commonly study, from smallest to largest?
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Is weather a biotic factor?
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How are biotic and abiotic factors related? What is the difference between them?
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Describe the three basic methods of ecological research.
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Study Notes
Key Concepts in Ecology
- Biosphere: The global sum of all ecosystems; it encompasses land, water, and the atmosphere, where life exists.
- Species: A group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
- Population: Individuals of the same species residing in a designated area.
- Community: An assemblage of different populations interacting within a defined area.
- Ecology: The scientific study exploring interactions between organisms and their environment.
- Ecosystem: A system comprising all living organisms and their nonliving surroundings in a specific area.
- Biome: A large ecological area characterized by specific climate conditions and types of organisms.
Organisms and Their Roles
- Biotic Factors: Living components affecting ecosystems (e.g., plants, animals).
- Abiotic Factors: Nonliving environmental elements shaping ecosystems (e.g., climate, soil).
- Autotrophs (Producers): Organisms capable of capturing energy from sunlight or chemicals to create food from inorganic sources.
- Primary Producers: First producers that generate energy-rich compounds utilized by other organisms.
- Photosynthesis: Process where plants convert light energy into chemical energy, producing oxygen and carbohydrates.
- Chemosynthesis: Method by which some organisms produce carbohydrates using chemical energy instead of light.
Types of Consumers
- Heterotrophs (Consumers): Organisms obtaining energy by eating other living things.
- Carnivores: Animals that consume other animals for energy.
- Herbivores: Organisms that primarily feed on plants.
- Scavengers: Animals that eat the carcasses of dead animals.
- Omnivores: Organisms that consume both plants and animals for energy.
- Decomposers: Organisms that extract energy from breaking down dead organic matter.
- Detritivores: Organisms feeding on dead matter and decomposing material.
Food Chains and Webs
- Food Chain: A linear sequence illustrating how energy and nutrients flow between organisms via eating relationships.
- Food Web: A complex network showing various feeding interactions among organisms in an ecosystem.
- Phytoplankton: Photosynthetic algae that inhabit surface waters of oceans.
- Zooplankton: Small, drifting animals that form a part of the planktonic community.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
- Trophic Level: Each step in the food chain or web, indicating the position of organisms based on their feeding relationships.
- Ecological Pyramid: A graphical representation depicting the energy or biomass contained at each trophic level.
- Biomass: The total mass of living tissue within a given trophic level, often used to measure the productivity of an ecosystem.
Ecological Research Methods
- Levels of Organization: The hierarchy in ecology includes individual organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.
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Research Methods:
- Observing: Collecting data through direct observation to answer ecological questions.
- Experimenting: Testing hypotheses either in controlled lab settings or within natural environments.
- Modeling: Using mathematical or computational models to explore ecological phenomena and predict outcomes.
Ecological Factors and Phenomena
- Weather: Classified as an abiotic factor affecting living organisms and their environments.
- Relationship between Factors: Biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors are interconnected; both are essential components of ecosystems.
- Modeling Utility: Useful for studying complex ecological issues such as global warming, providing insights that can inform conservation efforts.
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Description
Test your knowledge of key terms from Biology Chapter 3 with these flashcards. Each card features a word related to the biosphere, species, and populations, along with their definitions. Perfect for studying and reinforcing your understanding.
