Ecology Quiz: Interactions and Organization

Study Notes

Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.
Key terms include:
- Biosphere: All living and non-living parts of Earth.
- Species: Organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
- Population: Groups of the same species living in an area.
- Community: Different populations living together.
- Ecosystems: Living organisms and their environment in a specific area.
- Biomes: Large geographic areas with similar climates and dominant plant communities.

Organisms within the biosphere interact in complex ways, creating a web of interdependence.
This interdependence involves biotic and abiotic factors.

Species: Organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Populations: Groups of individuals of the same species in a specific area.
Communities: Different populations coexisting in a defined area.
Ecosystems: Interacting living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components in a particular place.
Biomes: Large geographic areas with similar climates and dominant plant communities.
Biosphere: The global ecological system integrating all life.

Ecologists use observation, experimentation, and modeling to understand ecological patterns and processes.

Ecology: The scientific study of interactions between living things and their environment.
Biosphere: The combined portions of Earth where life exists.

Organism: An individual living entity.
Population: A group of the same species living in one area.
Community: Different species living together in an area.
Ecosystem: Living organisms and abiotic components interacting in a specific area.
Biome: A major regional or global community defined by climate and dominant plant communities.
Biosphere: The global ecological system integrating all life.

Producers (autotrophs): Create their own food (e.g., through photosynthesis).
Consumers (heterotrophs): Obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
- Herbivores: Eat only plants
- Carnivores: Eat only animals
- Omnivores: Eat both plants and animals
- Detritivores: Consume dead organic matter
- Decomposers: Break down organic matter.
Energy moves through ecosystems via trophic levels (food chains and webs).
- Producers → Primary Consumers → Secondary Consumers → Tertiary Consumers → Decomposers.
Biomass Pyramids: Total mass at each trophic level (typically decreasing as you go up).
Energy transfer is inefficient (approximately 10% at each trophic level).

Weathering: Breakdown of rocks at the Earth's surface (mechanical or chemical).
Erosion: Removal of weathered material by natural agents like wind, water, or ice.
Factors influencing weathering: Rock type, climate, and surface area exposed.

Evidence: Rising global temperatures, increased greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2).
Effects: Rising sea levels, ecosystem changes, extreme weather, and species extinction.

Density-dependent factors: Competition, predation, parasitism, and disease (intensify with population size).
Density-independent factors: Weather, natural disasters, and human activities (affect populations regardless of size).

Includes ecosystem, species, and genetic diversity.
Threats to biodiversity: Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species, and overexploitation.