Ecology and Energy Systems Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering ecology basics, biological organization spheres, organism classifications, feeding relationships, energy flow, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, adaptations, symbiosis, and conservation strategies.

What is Ecology?

Ecology is the study of the interactions between living things and their environment.

What is the name given to a scientist who studies ecology?

An ecologist.

Define the Biosphere.

The part of the Earth's crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life; it is a global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, extending from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountain peaks.

What is the Litho-sphere?

The solid, rigid, outermost shell of the Earth, extending to a depth of around $100\,km$.

What is the Atmos-sphere?

The layer of gases that surround a planet or other celestial bodies, held in place by the body's gravitational force.

What is the Hydro-sphere?

The total amount of water on, beneath, and above the surface of a planet, such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and glaciers.

Define a Biome.

A global ecological region that has similar climatic conditions such as rainfall, temperature, and soil type.

Define an Ecosystem.

The interaction of living things with other living things and non-living things, which can be as large as an ocean or as small as an aquarium.

Define a Community.

The interaction of all living things within the ecosystem; for example, herbivores requiring plants for food.

Define a Habitat.

The place within the community that an organism lives, where it is provided with all its needs such as food, shelter, and mates.

Define a Niche.

The localized part of a general habitat; for example, two different birds in the same habitat finding food in two different places.

What are Abiotic Factors?

Non-living or physical factors such as temperature, light intensity, and the pH of the soil.

What are Biotic Factors?

Living factors such as competitors, predators, parasites, and disease-causing organisms.

Define Population.

Multiple individuals of the same species interacting in a specific habitat, such as all the koalas in the Dandenong Ranges.

What is a Species?

A group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can interbreed in nature to produce fertile offspring.

What is a Hybrid?

An offspring from the mating of two genetically distinct parents; they are infertile because the parents have different numbers of chromosomes.

Give an example of an animal hybrid and a plant hybrid.

Animal Hybrid: Liger (Lion + Tiger) or Zorse (Zebra + Horse). Plant Hybrid: Peppermint (Spearmint + Watermint).

Define a Food Chain.

A sequence that shows how energy and nutrients are transferred through feeding relationships, starting with a producer and following the energy pathway from one organism to another.

What is a Food Web?

A network of interconnected food chains that shows multiple feeding relationships and represents different pathways for energy and nutrients within an ecosystem.

What do the arrows in a food chain or web indicate?

The arrows show the direction of energy transfer, pointing from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it.

Define Autotroph.

An organism that makes its own food, usually through photosynthesis.

Define Heterotroph.

An organism that gets energy by consuming other organisms.

Define Detritivore.

An organism that eats dead organic matter, such as an earthworm.

Define Decomposer.

An organism that breaks down dead material and recycles nutrients, such as bacteria.

Define Saprotroph.

An organism that breaks down and absorbs nutrients from dead matter, such as fungi.

What is Detritus?

Dead plant and animal material.

What do Number Pyramids represent?

They show how many organisms can be found at each trophic level, where the size of the bar indicates the quantity of organisms present.

Define Biomass.

The amount of dry matter at each trophic level.

How is Dry mass defined in an ecological context?

Any substance that is not a fluid and can carry energy and sustain life.

What is the 10% rule in Pyramids of Energy?

Only $10\%$ of energy is used by the animal for making new tissue, while the other $90\%$ is lost as heat energy and organic waste.

Why do food chains usually only contain 5 to 6 organisms?

Energy decreased at every trophic level leaves only a small amount for apex predators; eventually, the energy passed on is too small for the next level to survive.

What is the source of all energy and matter entering ecosystems?

The sun.

Which two products are made from the glucose produced in photosynthesis for plant use?

Cellulose for building cell walls and starch molecules for later energy use.

What is the word equation for photosynthesis?

$$\text{carbon dioxide} + \text{water} \xrightarrow[\text{Chlorophyll}]{\text{light/energy}} \text{Oxygen} + \text{Glucose}$$

What is the formula equation for photosynthesis?

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O \rightarrow 6O_2 + C_6H_{12}O_6$$

In which organelle does photosynthesis occur?

Chloroplasts.

What is the word equation for cellular respiration?

$$\text{Oxygen} + \text{Glucose} \rightarrow \text{Carbon dioxide} + \text{Water} + \text{energy}$$

What is the formula equation for cellular respiration?

$$C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{energy}$$

In which organelle does cellular respiration occur?

Mitochondria.

Define Physical Adaptations.

A body part that increases the chances of survival, such as beak shape, coat color, or teeth type.

Define Behavioural Adaptations.

Habits or actions that an organism uses to help it survive, such as migration, hibernation, or hunting in a group.

Define Physiological Adaptations.

Internal changes or functions of an organism, such as antifreeze proteins, blubber, or sweating.

Contrast Ectothermic and Endothermic.

Ectothermic organisms have varying body temperatures and must gain heat from the environment; Endothermic organisms have constant body temperatures and must cool down or warm up relative to the environment.

Define Symbiosis.

A relationship where organisms in an ecosystem depend on each other for survival.

Define Mutualism.

A relationship where both species benefit, such as a bee getting nectar while a flower gets pollinated.

Define Commensalism.

A relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed, such as barnacles on a whale.

Define Parasitism.

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other, such as a tick feeding on a cat's blood.

What is a Keystone Species?

A species that an ecosystem greatly depends on; it links all other organisms together and keeps the ecosystem in balance.

Contrast In-Situ and Ex-Situ conservation.

In-Situ conservation occurs at the physical location where the organism is found; Ex-Situ occurs by removing the organism to a protected location like a zoo or seed bank.

In the IUCN Red List, what do 'CR' and 'EX' stand for?

CR stands for Critically Endangered and EX stands for Extinct.