Levels of Organization
all of the populations of different species that live in the same area
Community
Air is considered what type of factor.
Abiotic
organism that makes its own food
Autotroph
What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
the sun
How many methods do ecologists use in their work?
Three
all the living things in a given area together with the physical factors of the nonliving environment
Ecosystem
A lion is considered what type of factor
Biotic
organism that gets food by consuming other organisms
Heterotroph
Which of the following is an example of a tertiary consumer?
eagle, rabbit, grasshopper, deer
Eagle
This is the first step in asking ecological questions.
Observation
group of organisms that are similar enough to mate together and produce fertile offspring
Species
Bacteria is considered a ____________ factor
Biotic
branch of biology that is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment
Ecology
What role do producers play?
They create their own food using sunlight
Ecologists use these along with mathematical formulas to help understand concepts that are too difficult to study directly.
Modeling/ Models
all the organisms of the same species that live in the same area
Population
Soil is considered what type of factor
Abiotic
process of using the energy in chemical compounds to make food
Chemosynthesis
Which of the following are considered autotrophs? (Select all that apply)
fungi, plants, algae, some bacteria
Plants, Algae, and some bacteria
This is used to test hypotheses.- Example: Ecologists can set up an artificial environment to see how growing plants react to different conditions.
Experimentation
part of Earth where all life exists, including land, water, and air
Biosphere
Give an example of a Biotic factor affected an abiotic factor.
Beavers building a dam
Humans polluting the air/ ocean
group of similar ecosystems with the same general type of physical environment
Biome
What is the primary function of decomposers in an ecosystem?
To break down dead organic matter
List the three ecological methods that ecologists use in their work.
Observation, Experimentation, and Modeling