Biology: Ecosystems & Ecological Organization

What is a biotic factor?

a living organism such as a plant animal fungus or bacterium

What is an abiotic factor?

a non-living part of the environment

Which factors are living and which are non-living?

biotic factors are living and abiotic factors are non-living

What does the prefix bio mean in biotic?

life so biotic means living

What does the a- prefix mean in abiotic?

not so abiotic means non-living

Give some examples of biotic factors?

plants animals fungi bacteria and interactions between living things

Give some examples of abiotic factors?

sunlight temperature precipitation soil minerals water and wind

Are gut bacteria biotic or abiotic?

biotic because they are living

What are the four spheres of Earth?

the atmosphere the biosphere the geosphere and the hydrosphere

What is the atmosphere?

all the gases in the air that surround Earth

What is the biosphere?

all the living organisms on Earth

What is the geosphere?

the interior and surface of Earth including rocks continents and the ocean floor

What is the hydrosphere?

all of Earth's water both salt and fresh including ice and underground water

Which sphere contains all living things?

the biosphere

Which sphere makes up most of Earth's mass?

the geosphere

Why are Earth's systems called spheres?

because each one would still form a rough sphere around Earth

What is a population?

a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area

What is a community?

all the interacting living things (populations) in an area

What is an ecosystem?

all the living organisms in an area plus the non-living parts of the environment

What is the difference between a community and an ecosystem?

a community is living things only while an ecosystem also includes abiotic factors

What does an ecosystem include that a community does not?

the abiotic (non-living) factors

What is the order of levels from smallest to largest?

population then community then ecosystem then biome then biosphere

What is a biome?

a large region defined by the abiotic conditions its organisms are adapted to

What is a microbiome?

a group of microbes that live on or within another organism

What is a microecosystem?

a very small ecosystem such as a puddle a rotting log or a tree cavity

What is the difference between a microbiome and a microecosystem?

a microbiome is microbes living on or in an organism while a microecosystem is a tiny place-based ecosystem

What are the two broad types of ecosystem by location?

terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water)

What are the two kinds of aquatic ecosystem?

marine (saltwater) and freshwater (non-salty)

Which kind of aquatic ecosystem is most common?

marine

How does energy move through an ecosystem?

it enters as light flows from organism to organism and leaves as heat

Is energy flow one-way or a cycle?

one-way from light in to heat out

What happens to matter in an ecosystem?

it is conserved and cycles from one form to another

What is the key difference between energy and matter in an ecosystem?

energy flows one way and is lost as heat while matter cycles round and round