Honors Biology: Ecology Test

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems; all life on Earth.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living components of an environment, such as water, sunlight, temperature, and soil.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an environment, such as plants, animals, and bacteria.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Trophic Cascade

An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, which causes changes in the ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Parasitism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

Energy Pyramid

A graphical representation that shows the flow of energy at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Behavioral Adaptations

Inherent behaviors in organisms that enhance their survival and reproduction in their habitats.

Taxonomy

The science of classifying organisms into hierarchical categories.

Phylogenetic Trees

Diagrams that depict the evolutionary relationships among various biological species.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Human Impact

The effect of human activity on the environment and biodiversity.

Scientific Investigation Skills

Skills used in scientific inquiry including asking questions, analyzing data, and making predictions.