Integrated Programme Year 1 Green Science: Organisms and Their Environment

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to ecosystems, nutrient cycles, and conservation as presented in the lecture notes.

What is ecology?

The study of how living things interact with one another and their environment.

Define habitat.

A place in which an organism lives.

Define population.

A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular habitat.

What is a community?

Different populations of organisms living and interacting with one another in a particular habitat.

Define ecosystem.

Interactions between the different species in a community and their physical/abiotic environment.

What are abiotic factors?

Non-living factors like sunlight, temperature, wind, and soil pH that impact organisms in an ecosystem.

What are biotic factors?

Interactions between organisms and all other organisms in the environment.

What is competition in an ecosystem?

Occurs when two species require the same resource, reducing the amount available for one another.

Define herbivory.

When primary consumers feed on producers.

What is a predator-prey relationship?

Involves a consumer feeding on another consumer; the consumer is the predator and the food species is the prey.

Explain parasitism.

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another; the harmful organism is called the parasite.

Define commensalism.

A relationship that benefits one organism while the other is unaffected.

What is mutualism?

A relationship where two species live in close association and both benefit from the interaction.

What are producers?

Autotrophic organisms capable of making their own food.

Define consumers.

Heterotrophic organisms that depend on other organisms for food.

What roles do decomposers play in ecosystems?

They break down complex organic matter into simple inorganic substances, recycling nutrients.

What is a food chain?

A series of organisms through which energy is transferred in the form of food.

What does the pyramid of energy represent?

The total energy at different trophic levels of a food chain and the energy lost between levels.

What is the 'Rule of 10'?

Approximately 10% of energy from each trophic level is passed to the next; 90% is lost.

What is eutrophication?

The process where excess nutrients cause excessive growth of algae and water plants.

How does water pollution affect food chains?

Substances such as pesticides and heavy metals can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in top consumers.

What are carbon sinks?

Systems that absorb and store carbon compounds, like forests and oceans.

What is global warming?

The accumulation of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane in the atmosphere causing temperature rise.

Why is conservation important?

To maintain biodiversity, provide resources for humans, and stabilize ecosystems.

Describe the impact of plastic pollution on marine life.

Plastics harm marine organisms when ingested or when animals become entangled, leading to injuries and death.