Ecology 101
Definition of ecology
Species
Ecosystems may seem to be stable, but communities continually change in response to
What is natural occurrences
Population density refers to
What is- the number of individuals of a particular species in a given area
Definition of a biome
What is a very broad classification, encompassing several ecosystems
Explain the water cycle
What is when water evaporates and travels into the air, as it warms it rises and when it cools, the water vapor condenses and forms clouds, the clouds cause precipitation, which brings water back onto land and oceans
Primary productivity
The first organisms to appear in primary succession are called
Ecologists studying populations use three characteristics to describe them, they are
What is geographic distribution, population density, growth rate
The name of the series of steps you can follow the energy through feeding relationships
What are Food Chains
The type of radiation that is emitted by the Earth's surface
What is Infrared
Niche
Once a community has been affected by a natural disturbance, a series of changes occur that is called
Limiting factors fall into two categories
What is Density- independent and density-dependent
Name 3 key abiotic factors that affect ecosystems
What is- Sunlight, water, temperature, soil, wind, or natural disturbances
Competition is a relationship between organisms for a limited supply of at least one resource, name the 2 types of competition within a community
What is- Intraspecific and interspecific
Parasitism
What is a relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed
Differences between Primary versus secondary succession
Animals looking for biotic or abiotic resources may do what when resources in their community become scarce
What is- they move into another geographic area
Energy is lost or gained each time it moves up a trophic level in an ecosystem
What is lost
In ecology, organisms are typically classified according to these 5 groups
What is- Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere
Carrying capacity
Give 2 examples of how human activities disturb communities of organisms within an environment
What is- Lumber companies clear a forest, dumping chemicals into rivers, hikers starting a forest fire, etc.
Explain the difference between exponential growth and logistic growth
What is. Ex. G- population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources. Log. G- population growth that in controlled by limited resources
Explain the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers
What is- Producers are organisms that produce their own food. Consumers are organisms that eat living producers and/ or other consumers for food. Decomposers are organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms.