IB Ecology and Conservation

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary related to ecology and conservation, focusing on species, communities, ecosystems, energy flow, and conservation strategies.

Species

Groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Community

A group of populations of different species living and interacting with each other.

Ecosystem

A community and its abiotic environment.

Autotrophs

Organisms that obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment or make their own food.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain organic molecules from other living organisms.

Detritivores

Heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion.

Saprotrophs

Heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion.

Nutrient cycling

The process that maintains the supply of inorganic nutrients in ecosystems.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

Habitat

The environment in which a species normally lives.

Ecology

The study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment.

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs synthesize organic molecules from sunlight.

Chemosynthesis

The process by which certain organisms produce organic molecules using energy derived from inorganic chemicals.

Primary consumers

Organisms that feed on producers and occupy the second trophic level.

Carnivores

Consumers that feed principally on animal matter.

Omnivores

Consumers that have a principal diet composed of both plant and animal matter.

Scavengers

Consumers that feed on dead and decaying carcasses.

Detritus

Dead, particulate organic matter like decaying organic material.

Humus

Decaying leaf litter intermixed with topsoil.

Biomass

The total mass of a group of organisms, consisting of the carbon compounds in their cells.

Ecological niche

The functional position and role of an organism within its environment.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction.

Competition

An interaction where the fitness of one organism is lowered by the presence of another.

Pyramids of Energy

Graphical representations of the amount of energy at each trophic level of a food chain.

Bioaccumulation

The increase of a substance in a particular organism over time.

Biomagnification

The increase in the concentration of a substance at higher trophic levels.

Conservation

The protection and maintenance of natural resources.

In situ conservation

The preservation of species within their natural habitats.

Ex situ conservation

The preservation of species outside their natural habitats.

Primary production

The production of chemical energy in organic compounds by producers.

Net primary production (NPP)

The amount of chemical energy that is not consumed by respiration (NPP = GPP – respiration).