Ecology Vocab
the scientific study of interactions among
organisms with each other and with the environment.
ecology
the largest level of organization that includes anywhere on the planet that life can exist
biosphere
where does all energy for life on Earth come from?
the sun
what is the most common form of carbon in the atmosphere?
CO2 carbon dioxide
phosphorus in the biosphere is most commonly found in...
rocks and minerals in the soil
an ant hill and beaver dam are examples of...
habitats
a field, rotting log, and lake are all examples of...
ecosystems
an animal that eats dead things is called a
detritivore
clouds are formed by....
condensation
what is responsible for converting unusable nitrogen in the atmosphere into a compound living things can use?
bacteria
how new ecosystems form, can happen through natural disaster or gradual change over time
succession
a group of individuals similar to one another
that can breed and create fertile offspring.
species
what is the process called where autotrophs make their energy from the sun?
photosynthesis
rain, sleet, snow, and hail are examples of...
precipitation
the process where nitrate is converted back into a gas to be released into the atmosphere
denitrification
Which one of these is NOT a biotic factor?
algae, soil, bacteria, insects, grass
soil
a colony of bacteria and herd of deer are examples of...
populations
what's the difference between an energy pyramid and a biomass pyramid?
an energy pyramid shows how much energy is stored at each trophic level (10% rule) and a biomass pyramid shows the dry weight of living matter at each trophic level
both are water transforming from a liquid to a gas but transpiration is done through plants
what is responsible for the conversion of nitrogen into ammonia from decaying matter?
decomposers
what biome has the highest level of biodiversity?
tropical rainforest
what is the difference between an ecosystem and a community?
ecosystem is all the communities in an area plus the non-living physical environment
name 3 factors that influence primary productivity (that rate at which producers make energy)
water availability, trace elements, carbon dioxide, sunlight, carbon dioxide
why do plants have CO2 going into and out of them in the carbon cycle?
what is the symbiosis in the nitrogen cycle used by plants?
plants have a symbiosis with rhizobia a bacteria that helps plants absorb nitrogen in their roots