Honors Biology - Ecology Unit Study Guide

Honors Biology

Biotic factor

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact (ex. plants and animals)

Abiotic factor

physical, or non-living, factor that shapes and ecosystem (ex. sunlight, temperature, water)

Ecosystems

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving enviroment

Population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

Biome

a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Biosphere

Part of earth in which life exists including land, water, and air/atmosphere

Community

assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area

Place the ecological levels of organization in order

organisms, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere

carnivore

any animal that eats the flesh of another living thing

Trophic level

each step in a food chain or web

Biomass

Total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

Biomass pyramid

a model that illustrates the relative amount of living organic matter in each trophic level in an ecosystem

Food web

a network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

food chain

a series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

Denitrification

process by which bacteria converts nitrates into nitrogen gas

Nitrofixation

process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use

Water cycle

Carbon cycle

Exponential growth

growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate

Limiting factors

factor that causes population growth to decrease

Energy pyramid

a model that shows the flow of energy form one trophic level to another in an ecosystems

Consumer

an organisms that cannot produce its own food and must eat other plants and/or animals to get energy

Climate

the weather conditions prevailing in an area

Greenhouse affect

a process that occurs when gasses in earth atmosphere trap the suns heat

Logistic growth

a type of population growth where the growth rate is influenced by the population size and natural resistance, leading to sustainable maximum point know as the carrying capacity

Primary succession

when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time

Competition

2 or more organisms fighting for the same resource

Climax community

an ecological in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment

Invasive species

animals or plants from another region of the world that doesnt belong in their new enviroment

Decomposers

organisms that break down dead organisms and release the nutrients from the dead matter into the enviroment around them

Compare and contrast energy flow versus the flow of matter through an ecosystem.

Energy flows only one way. Matter can move any direction.

What are the ecological levels of organization in order?

Organism, species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.

What is the 10% rule and how do you use it?

Only 10% of energy moves up a trophic level.

How does the greenhouse affect change earths average temperature?

The more greenhouse gases, the more heat that is trapped in the atmosphere.

Explain for population can stabilize after a period of exponential growth.

It hits carrying capacity.

What are the limiting factors and how do they affect populations?

food, water, living space, disease. can change populations of organisms when they do not have enough resources.

Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession.

Primary: starts from rock after volcanic eruption or glacier caps melting.

Secondary: starts from soil after wildfire, hurricanes, or desorestation.

Explain how nitrogen cycles between. the atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere.

How do invasive species affect the ecosystem?

They take away resources from other organisms.

Know the water cycle.

Know common traits / characteristics of ALL the bioms.

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Review notes from climate change case studies.

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