SNC 1W Biology Unit Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational ecology concepts from the SNC 1W review, including spheres of the Earth, ecosystem dynamics, energy flow, matter cycling, ecological niches, population limits, and species interactions.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases surrounding Earth.

Lithosphere

The land and rocks on Earth's surface.

Hydrosphere

The water on and around Earth.

Sustainability

The ability to maintain ecological balance in an ecosystem over a long period of time.

Biotic Factor

A living component of an ecosystem, such as animals, plants, and bacteria.

Abiotic Factor

A non-living component of an ecosystem, such as rocks, sunlight, and water.

Organism

A single living thing.

Population

A group of individuals belonging to the same species.

Community

A collection of populations of different species coexisting in an area.

Ecosystem

All the living factors (biotic) interacting with the non-living factors (abiotic) in a specific area.

Producer

An organism that creates its own food or energy using photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

The conversion of radiant (light) energy into chemical energy, represented by: $\text{carbon dioxide} + \text{water} \rightarrow \text{sugar (glucose)} + \text{oxygen}$.

Cellular Respiration

The biological process performed by all living things to release energy, represented by: $\text{oxygen} + \text{sugar (glucose)} \rightarrow \text{carbon dioxide} + \text{water} + \text{energy}$.

Decomposers

Organisms that consume dead plant and animal matter and release nutrients back to the abiotic environment upon digestion.

Ecological Niche

The specific role that an organism plays within its ecosystem.

Habitat

The physical place where an organism lives.

Consumer

An organism that eats other organisms to obtain energy.

Herbivore

An animal that eats only plants.

Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals.

Carnivore

An animal that eats only other animals.

Trophic Level Energy Transfer

The transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next, where approximately $10\%$ of energy is passed along and the remainder is lost as thermal and kinetic energy.

Limiting Factors

Abiotic and biotic factors that restrict the size of a population.

Tolerance Range

The range of conditions for a particular variable (such as temperature) over which a species can exist.

Optimal Zone

The portion of a tolerance range where a species can live comfortably and thrive.

Zone of Physiological Stress

An area within a tolerance range where a species can sometimes live, but most individuals either suffer or die.

Zone of Intolerance

An area outside the tolerance range where a species is completely unable to survive.

Predation

An interaction where one animal eats another animal.

Competition

An interaction where two organisms compete for food or resources in the abiotic environment.

Mutualism

A symbiotic interaction between species where both species benefit from each other.

Commensalism

An interaction where one species benefits and the second species is neither benefited nor harmed.

Parasitism

An interaction that occurs when one species lives in or on another organism.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population of a species that an ecosystem can hold based on available resources.

Equilibrium

A state in which abiotic and biotic factors stay balanced over a long period of time.

Succession

The process of establishing and replacing a community after a disturbance through gradual ecological changes.

Primary Succession

Ecological succession that occurs on soil or bare rock where no life previously existed, such as after a volcanic eruption.

Secondary Succession

Ecological succession that occurs after a disturbance that does not destroy the area entirely, such as after a forest fire.

Biodiversity

A label used to describe a diverse variety of life within an ecosystem.

Five Biomes of Canada

The major ecological zones in Canada, consisting of the Tundra, Boreal Forest, Grassland, Mountain Forest, and Temperate Deciduous Forest.