Ecology

The part of Earth occupied by organisms is called the:

biosphere

Ecologists study:

where animals and plants live and how they interact

biome:

includes organisms that may or may not interact, includes living and non-living, one or more ecosystem

community:

interacting organisms, ecosystem has one or more, only living things

an ecosystem may last:

temporarily

an ecosystem’s size:

may be small or big

these are non living factors:

abiotic factors

these are living factors:

biotic factors

population density:

number of individuals per unit area

1:

clumped distribution

2:

random distribution

3:

uniform distribution

 These roles, combined with the organism’s habitat, are called its ecological:

niche

In either case, as ecosystems change, communities are replaced over time by new communities during a process called:

succession

**Primary succession** occurs when:

communities form on a surface that was previously unoccupied

These first **species** to colonize an area are called:

pioneer species

Less severe disturbances, such as falling trees, a fire, or flood, would result in a:

secondary succession

A keystone species is one:

that has relatively low abundance but greatly influences community structure. 

Where is the Great Rift Valley located?

located in East Africa

What does the Great Rift Valley produce, and who uses it?

the afar people use the salt produced by the valley

What chemical does the hot springs at the Great Rift Valley have?

alkaline

How did the evolution of the Daga fish occur?

This evolution occurred when Lake Tanganyika split into several lakes millions of years ago. Thus, these fish in each lake evolved separately, creating different species.

The Great Rift Valley was home to what?

early humans

The capital of Kenya was once what?

Nairobi was once a construction depot

What hints at Africa splitting apart again?

three tectonic plates are tearing apart

Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential nutrients for living things. Could there be too much of a good thing? What could happen if excess nitrogen and phosphorus were introduced into the environment, and how might this happen?

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus could be introduced into the environment due to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Too much of these chemicals could disrupt the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, which could be detrimental to plant and animal growth.