Ecology Study Guide

Flashcards of vocabulary terms and definitions.

Levels of the Biosphere

The levels of the biosphere organization in the correct sequence from smallest to largest: Organism → Population → Community → Ecosystem → Biome → Biosphere

Biotic Factor

Living things: bacteria, fungi, protozoans, plants, animals

Abiotic Factor

Non-living things: temperature, precipitation, wind, water, currents, rocks, sand, pH, sunlight

Biosphere

Earth, all biomes combined

Community

All of the oak trees, beetles, songbirds, wildflowers, squirrels, and fox in a certain area

Organism

A single black-capped chickadee

Population:

All of the black-capped chickadees in an area

Biome

Temperate deciduous forest

Ecosystem

All of the trees, wildflowers, birds, mammals, rocks, water, rainfall, and average temperature in a certain area

Carnivore

Consumer that only eats other consumers

Herbivore

Consumer that only eats producers

Omnivore

Consumer that eats both producers and other consumers

Decomposer

Consumer that breaks down organic material to help recycle nutrients

Mutualism

Providing food for the bee and a reproductive strategy for the flower

Herbivory

Caribou grazing on tundra grass

Competition

Two jaguars have overlapping ranges in the same area of the rainforest with limited resources

Predation

Cheetah chases down and catches a wildebeest to eat

Commensalism

Bird follows a grazing bison to eat the insects it stirs up from the grasses

Parasitism

Tapeworm feeds off the nutrients inside of a mammals gastrointestinal system, weakening its mammal host

Keystone Species

One species that greatly impacts the entire ecosystem, maintaining structure, stability, and diversity

Primary Succession

No soil remains after the event

Secondary Succession

Soil is still present after the event

Pioneer Species

Any of the first species to move into a devastated area

Climax Community

A fairly stable community that marks the end of succession in an area.

Limiting Factors

Anything in the environment that can limit the size of a population

Density Dependent

Limiting factors that depend on the size of a population

Density Independent

Limit the growth of a population regardless of its density

Carrying Capacity

The largest population that an ecosystem can support over a long period

Invasive Species

One that is introduced into the ecosystem by human activity; the invasive species will outcompete the native species because there are no natural predators

Deforestation

Cutting down trees puts more CO2 into the environment

Biomagnification

When chemicals become more concentrated at higher feeding levels