Ecology Definitions Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is the study of all the interrelationships between organisms and their environment called?

  • Biome
  • Ecology (correct)
  • Ecosystem
  • Biosphere

    • What term refers to the parts of the Earth that can support life?

    Biosphere

    Define a biotic factor.

    Any living thing in an organism's environment.

    Define an abiotic factor.

    <p>Any non-living thing in an organism's environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a population?

    <p>A group of the same species that live in the same area at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a community in ecology?

    <p>A group of interacting populations living in the same area at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define an ecosystem.

    <p>A community and all the nonliving factors that affect it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a biome?

    <p>A large group of ecosystems that share the same climate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a habitat?

    <p>The physical area or place where an organism lives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term niche refer to?

    <p>The role or job an organism has within its environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is competition in ecological terms?

    <p>The condition where more than one organism uses the same resource at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define predation.

    <p>The act of one organism feeding upon another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a predator?

    <p>An organism that hunts other organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does prey refer to?

    <p>An organism that is food for another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define symbiosis.

    <p>A relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is mutualism?

    <p>A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define commensalism.

    <p>A symbiotic relationship in which one member benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is parasitism?

    <p>A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an autotroph?

    <p>An organism that takes energy from the sun or inorganic substances to produce food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define heterotroph.

    <p>An organism that cannot make its own food and must feed off of other organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a detritivore?

    <p>An organism that feeds on dead material that is not very broken down.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a decomposer?

    <p>An organism that breaks down dead material into nutrients that get returned to the environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does trophic level refer to?

    <p>Each step in a food chain or web.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define food chain.

    <p>A model that shows a single path for energy flow through an ecosystem.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a food web?

    <p>Many interconnected food chains within an ecosystem.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a host in ecological terms?

    <p>The organism on which or within a parasite lives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define environment.

    <p>All of the surrounding things, conditions, and influences affecting the growth or development of living things.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does biomass refer to?

    <p>The amount of organisms at each trophic level.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a producer?

    <p>Another name for autotroph, something that makes its own food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define consumer.

    <p>Another name for heterotroph, something that must feed off of other organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a carnivore?

    <p>A consumer that eats only animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define herbivore.

    <p>A consumer that eats only plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an omnivore?

    <p>A consumer that eats both plants and animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define eutrophication.

    <p>A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Ecology Concepts

    • Ecology: The study of interrelationships between organisms and their environment.
    • Biosphere: Regions of Earth capable of supporting life.
    • Biotic Factors: Living elements within an organism's environment.
    • Abiotic Factors: Non-living components affecting organisms in their environment.

    Populations and Communities

    • Population: A group of individuals of the same species residing in a specific area simultaneously.
    • Community: An assemblage of interacting populations within a shared environment.

    Ecosystems and Biomes

    • Ecosystem: A community combined with all nonliving factors influencing it.
    • Biome: A broad category consisting of multiple ecosystems that share similar climate characteristics.

    Organismal Roles and Relationships

    • Habitat: The specific area where an organism lives.
    • Niche: The unique role or function an organism fulfills within its habitat.

    Ecological Interactions

    • Competition: Occurs when multiple organisms vie for the same resource.
    • Predation: The process by which one organism consumes another.
    • Predator: An organism that actively hunts other organisms for food.
    • Prey: The organism that is hunted and consumed by a predator.

    Symbiotic Relationships

    • Symbiosis: Close relationships between different organisms.
    • Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
    • Commensalism: A type of symbiosis benefiting one organism while leaving the other unaffected.
    • Parasitism: A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

    Energy Sources and Consumer Types

    • Autotroph: Organisms that generate food energy from sunlight or inorganic sources.
    • Heterotroph: Organisms that cannot produce their food and rely on others for energy.
    • Detritivore: Organisms that consume decomposing organic matter.
    • Decomposer: Organisms that break down dead material into nutrients for the environment.

    Food Dynamics

    • Trophic Level: Each rank in a food chain or web reflecting energy transfer.
    • Food Chain: A linear representation of energy flow within an ecosystem.
    • Food Web: A complex network of interconnected food chains representing ecosystem energy flow.

    Other Essential Terms

    • Host: The organism that a parasite inhabits or feeds on.
    • Environment: All surrounding conditions affecting the growth and development of living organisms.
    • Biomass: The total mass of organisms at specific trophic levels.
    • Producer: Another term for autotroph, referring to organisms that create their own food.
    • Consumer: Another term for heterotroph, indicating organisms dependent on others for food.
    • Carnivore: Consumers that exclusively eat animal matter.
    • Herbivore: Consumers exclusively feeding on plant matter.
    • Omnivore: Consumers that intake both plant and animal sources.
    • Eutrophication: An increase in nutrient concentration, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, in aquatic environments, leading to excessive plant growth, like algae.

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    Test your knowledge of key terms in ecology with these flashcards. Each card features a crucial definition that explains the relationship between organisms and their environments. Perfect for students and enthusiasts alike!

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