BIOLOGY HABITATS AND ECOSYSTEMS QUIZLET VERSION

Organism

Any living thing capable of life processes.

Habitat

The natural environment where an organism lives.

Habitat requirements

Essential resources needed for organism survival.

Biotic factors

Living components affecting organism survival.

Abiotic factors

Non-living components affecting organism survival.

Adaptations

Characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction.

Red kangaroo

Lives in arid regions of mainland Australia.

Australian freshwater crocodile

Inhabits freshwater creeks and rivers in northern Australia.

Food

Nutrients required by organisms for energy.

Water

Essential liquid for all living organisms.

Shelter

Protection from environmental hazards and predators.

Mating partners

Organisms needed for reproduction.

Oxygen

Gas necessary for aerobic respiration in organisms.

Temperature

Environmental condition affecting organism survival.

Sandy riverbank

Ideal nesting site for crocodile eggs.

Camouflage

Adaptation that helps avoid detection by predators.

Nocturnal

Active during the night, resting during the day.

Sharp claws

Used by quolls to catch prey.

Webbed feet

Adaptation for agile movement in water.

Hollow trees

Safe resting places for spotted-tailed quolls.

Dim light vision

Ability to see in low-light conditions.

Muscular hind legs

Enable quick movement on land and water.

Fire-resistant buds

Adaptation in trees to survive wildfires.

Eucalyptus tree adaptation

Buds in trunk sprout after fire damage.

Survival in fires

Native trees withstand frequent Australian bushfires.

Tendrils

Long, thin threads aiding plants in climbing.

Smilax

Plant using tendrils to reach sunlight.

Environment

All factors affecting organisms in a habitat.

Ecology

Study of interactions between living things and environment.

Ecologists

Scientists studying ecological interactions.

Biosphere

Global sum of all ecosystems and life.

Ecosystem

Organisms interacting with surroundings in balance.

Interdependence

Organisms relying on each other for survival.

Symbiosis

Interaction between different organisms living together.

Commensalism

One organism benefits, the other is unaffected.

Population

Group of same species in a specific area.

Coral reef

Example of an ecosystem with diverse habitats.

Angelfish

Organism requiring nutrients, growing, reproducing, moving.

Environmental factors

Temperature, moisture, wind, air quality, soil type.

Adaptation

Characteristic enhancing survival in specific conditions.

Bushfire recovery

New leaves grow from protected buds post-fire.

Forest adaptations

Plants develop features to access limited sunlight.

Egrets and herbivores

Cattle egret benefits from grazing animals' movements.

Nutrient requirements

Essential for growth and reproduction of organisms.

Biodiversity

Variety of life forms within an ecosystem.

Mutualism

Both organisms benefit from the relationship.

Parasitism

One organism benefits at the expense of another.

Heartworm

A parasite that infects dogs' hearts.

Predator

An animal that hunts and eats other animals.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and eaten.

Competition

Two organisms vie for the same resources.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food.

Consumers

Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

Herbivores

Animals that eat only plants.

Food Chain

A sequence showing energy flow among organisms.

Lichen

A mutualistic relationship between fungus and algae.

Energy Flow

The transfer of energy through an ecosystem.

Bacteria

Decomposers that recycle nutrients back to soil.

Grass

A producer that uses sunlight for energy.

Grasshopper

A consumer that feeds on grass.

Kookaburra

A predator that eats grasshoppers.

Nutrients

Essential substances organisms need for growth.

Decomposition

The breakdown of dead organic matter.

Energy Source

Origin of energy for organisms, like sunlight.

Living Space

Area required by organisms for survival.

Photosynthesis

Process converting sunlight into glucose and oxygen.

Chlorophyll

Chemical in plants that traps sunlight energy.

Decomposers

Break down dead matter, recycling nutrients in ecosystems.

Scavengers

Animals that consume dead organisms but don't decompose.

Carnivores

Consumers that eat only other animals.

Omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals.

Primary Consumers

Herbivores that directly consume producers.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores that eat primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumers

Predators that eat secondary consumers.

Apex Predator

Top predator in a food chain.

Fungi

Visible decomposers that aid in nutrient recycling.

Scavenger Examples

Tasmanian devils, foxes, and rats consume dead matter.

Desert Ecosystem

Habitat where organisms adapt to arid conditions.

Hopping Mouse

Primary consumer in desert, eats grass and seeds.

Barn Owl

Tertiary consumer that preys on snakes.

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Apex predator in the desert ecosystem.

Producer

Organism that creates energy via photosynthesis.

Primary Consumer

Herbivore that eats producers.

Secondary Consumer

Carnivore that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer

Predator that eats secondary consumers.

Apex Consumer

Top of the food chain, no predators.

Food Web

Network of interconnected food chains.

Sustainable Ecosystem

Ecosystem that maintains diverse species and resources.

Extinction

Complete loss of a species.

Habitat Destruction

Loss of natural environment for species.

Traditional Fire Use

Indigenous practice of using fire for land management.

Germination

Process of a seed developing into a plant.

Adaptation to Fire

Plant ability to survive and regenerate after fire.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration of temperature and weather patterns.

Natural Disasters

Events like floods or earthquakes affecting ecosystems.

Aboriginal Practices

Traditional methods of land management by Indigenous Australians.

Low Intensity Fires

Controlled burns to manage ecosystems.

Eucalyptus

Plant that recovers quickly after fire.

Acacia

Plant species that germinates after smoke exposure.

Banksia

Plant species adapted to fire conditions.