Organisms and species
Define "biosphere"
The global ecological zone where all life exists, encompassing the land, water, and atmosphere.
Name two abiotic factors
Light, temperature, water, soil, air, chemical factors, etc...
Herbivores are...
...animals that primarily eats plants or plant-based material, such as leaves, fruits, nectar, or seeds.
Give an example of a dependant and an independant variable in a ecosystem.
Example:
Independent variable: soil moisture
Dependent variable: plant height
Name a keystone species
Examples of keystone species include beavers, bees, sea otters, gray wolves, african elephants, etc.
What is a binomial name?
Binomial name is the two-part scientific name of a species, consisting of the genus (first part, capitalized) and the species name (second part, lowercase).
Name two biotic factors
Producers, consumers, descomposer, etc...
Define "predation"
Biological interaction where one organism, the predator, hunts, kills, and eats another organism, the prey.
Explain the correlation between an independant and a dependant variable in a ecosystem
The independent variable is the environmental factor that changes, and the dependent variable is how the ecosystem responds to that change.
State the term that refers to an organism that helps hold the system together, with an unique and irreplaceable role in the ecosystem.
Keystone species
What is the difference between a population and a community?
A population represent a group of organism of the same species and a community represent a group of two or more population.
Explain the role cosumers, producers and decomposers have in a food chain.
A niche describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources on which an organism or a population depend, and the ecological role of a species in an ecosystem.
What is the difference between parasitism and disease?
Parasitism is the relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another (the host), while disease is the harmful effect on the host.
State the apparatus used to measure an specific piece of land, most of the time a square location.
Quadrant
Give and example of actions humans are doing to impact negatively climate change.
Burning fossils, overharvesting, etc.
What is the difference between an organism and a species?
An organism is a single, individual living being, while a species is a biological classification for a group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
State the 4 basic steps to measure motile species
Capture, mark, release and recapture.
Give an example of extracompetition
A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource (e.g., water, space, food, nesting sites, light, mates).
Which are the non-motile sampling methods? (3 possible answers)...
Systematic, continous and random
State an indirect impact provoked by humans that is increasing climate change.
Agriculture, urban development, livestock, etc.
Explain the difference between habitat, ecosystem and biome
A biome is the largest scale, a large geographical region with similar climate and vegetation. An ecosystem is smaller, a local community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting within a specific area. An habitat is the smallest scale, a specific place or environment where a single organism lives
What is a niche?
A niche describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources on which an organism or a population depend, and the ecological role of a species in an ecosystem.
Give an example of intracompetition
Intra competition, or intraspecific competition, is the struggle among individuals of the same species for limited resources like food, water, space, and mates.
Explain the difference between systematic, continous and random sampling method.
Systematic sampling collects data at regular intervals (e.g., every 5 meters), giving good coverage along a gradient. Continuous sampling records data without gaps along a transect, providing very detailed information about how conditions change across a space. Random sampling selects points completely by chance, giving every location an equal chance of being chosen and reducing bias.
Explain why invasive species are the fault of humans and how they are impacting ecosytems.
Invasive species are often the fault of humans because people accidentally or intentionally move organisms to places where they don’t naturally belong—through trade, travel, pet releases, or agriculture. Once introduced, these species can outcompete native organisms, reduce biodiversity, spread disease, and disrupt ecosystem balance, often causing long-term environmental damage.