Terms
The science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment.
What is Ecology?
The secondary consumer provides energy for the _________________ consumer.
Tertiary
Define an abiotic factor.
A non-living factor affecting species abundance and dispersal (Temperature, Sunlight, Wind, Soil Type, etc)
Rainfall affects dispersal of a population by changing a bend in a river between the population.
Abiotic
Biotic factors are all of the ____________ organisms that make up an ecosystem.
Living
This consists of all the organisms in a particular region, along with nonliving components.
What is an ecosystem?
The goal of this level of ecology is to understand factors affecting population growth, density, and size. It also involves studies of species interactions such as predation and mutualism.
What is population ecology?
Another word for a consumer is
Heterotroph
An ascaris nematode feeds on nutrients in the intestines of a pig.
Biotic (Predation)
The process of making new products from materials that were used in another product.
What is recycling
A major groupings of organisms defined by being the first consumer on a food chain is known as a what?
Primary consumer
What do they arrows in a food chain represent?
Flow of energy
In a energy pyramid with four trophic levels, how much energy would organisms at level four have if the organism at level one have 10,000 k cal?
10kcal
A tiger affects the dispersal of gazelle by consuming newborn young.
Biotic (Predation)
Coyotes are predators found throughout most of North America. They typically feed on small mammals, insects, and fruits & vegetables. They are known for their dietary adaptability. The best description of their role in the food web would be:
omnivore
The original source of all energy on earth.
The sun
Most mushrooms are considered to be __________ because of their ability to break down corpses.
Decomposers
What level of consumers are human?
Tertiary; omnivores
An ox-bird eats the parasites of the skin of a cow.
Biotic (Mutualism)
Release of harmful materials into the environment.
What is pollution
A species that is critical for the overall structure and function of an ecosystem, that also influences the other types of plants & animals that make up that ecosystem.
Keystone Species
Why is there less available energy in higher trophic levels?
Energy is loss in the lower levels.
The first organism to colonize an ecosystem is
Pioneer species
Worms are unable to living in a certain environment because of the soil type.
Abiotic
Plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native.
What is an invasive species