Ecology Basics
This is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Ecology
The Law of Conservation of Matter states matter cannot be created or destroyed — it changes form through these processes.
What are biogeochemical cycles?
Organisms that make their own food using sunlight are called producers, or by this other name.
What are autotrophs?
The 10% Rule states that only this fraction of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.
What is 10%?
The maximum population size an environment can support is called this.
What is carrying capacity (K)?
Biotic factors are LIVING parts of an ecosystem. Name one example of an ABIOTIC factor.
What is sunlight / water / temperature / soil / air (any non-living factor)?
Evaporation that occurs specifically from plant leaves is called this.
Transpiration
In a food web, arrows always point in this direction to show the transfer of energy.
From prey to predator (toward the consumer)?
Starting with 10,000 kcal of producer energy, how many kcal are available to secondary consumers?
What is 100 kcal? (10,000 → 1,000 → 100)
This acronym summarizes the five major threats to biodiversity. What does each letter stand for?
What is HIPPO? Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population growth, and Overexploitation.
All of the roles a species plays in its ecosystem — what it eats, where it lives, and how it interacts — is called this.
The ONLY way nitrogen gas in the atmosphere becomes usable for plants and animals.
What is nitrogen fixation (by nitrogen-fixing bacteria)?
A food web is MORE realistic than a single food chain because it shows this.
What are the multiple feeding relationships / interconnections between species?
A pyramid of biomass measures the total MASS of organisms at each trophic level. This is different from a pyramid of numbers, which measures this.
What is the number/count of individual organisms at each level?
A species that is in IMMEDIATE danger of becoming extinct is labeled this, while one that is likely to become endangered if unprotected is labeled this.
What are Endangered and Threatened?
From smallest to largest: Individual → Population → Community → Ecosystem → _____ → Biosphere.
Biome
This process removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores carbon in living organisms.
What is photosynthesis?
If producers were suddenly removed from a food web, this would happen to all consumers.
They would die / collapse — all energy in the food web originates from producers.
DAILY DOUBLE:
This is the process where toxins like DDT become MORE concentrated at higher trophic levels, harming top predators most.
What is biomagnification?
Non-native species that harm ecosystems often spread rapidly for this reason.
They have no natural predators in the new ecosystem.
DAILY DOUBLE:
This kingdom includes organisms that live in extreme environments like hydrothermal vents and salt flats.
What are Archaebacteria?
Fertilizer runoff from farms causes nitrogen to enter waterways, triggering this problem — a rapid overgrowth of algae that depletes oxygen.
What is an algal bloom (eutrophication)?
Decomposers are critical to an ecosystem because they do this.
Decomposers are critical to an ecosystem because they do this.
DDT devastated bald eagle populations by causing this specific reproductive problem.
What is thinning of eggshells (eggs cracked before hatching)?
Habitat destruction threatens 85% of imperiled U.S. species. The SECOND greatest threat to biodiversity, affecting 49% of species, is this.
What are invasive (alien) species?