Semester One Examination 2023 Biology Unit 1 Review

Vocabulary flashcards derived from the 2023 Biology Unit 1 Semester One Examination covering ecological concepts, biological cycles, and conservation terms related to biodiversity and conservation.

Temporal

A term used during the classification of organisms that refers to time.

Spatial

A term used during the classification of organisms that refers to space or location.

Endoparasite

An organism that lives within and feeds off the body or gut contents of a host, such as a roundworm in a dog.

Collaboration

An interaction between organisms of the same species where they work together, such as group members remaining on watch for predators while others feed.

Nitrogen fixation

The process in the nitrogen cycle where atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a form within the soil.

Nitrification

A biological process in the nitrogen cycle that converts ammonia into nitrates.

Community

A group of different populations of species living and interacting in the same area or ecosystem.

Keystone species

An organism that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions, such as the fungi or nematodes in a desert soil food web.

Ethics approvals (3Rs)

The requirement to demonstrate the principles of Reduce, Replace, and Refine when conducting animal research.

Biodiversity

The variety of all life forms including different plants, animals, and microorganisms, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems of which they form a part.

Biodiversity hotspot

A biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is under threat from human activities.

1080 baits

A valuable conservation strategy used in Western Australia to control feral carnivores.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size of a species that a specific environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available.

Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment, including how it meets its needs for food and shelter and how it survives and reproduces.

Competitive exclusion principle

The ecological rule stating that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist at constant population values.

Invasive species

Non-native organisms, such as cane toads, that reach a new area and negatively impact the existing ecosystem.

Apex predator

A predator at the top of a food chain that is not preyed upon by any other species, such as goannas and quolls.

Detritivore

An organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, returning essential nutrients to the ecosystem.

Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs)

Poisons used to manage rat and mouse populations that persist in the bodies of poisoned animals, potentially causing secondary poisoning in predators like the Southern Boobook owl.

Percentage Increase in Mass

A calculation represented by the formula: $\frac{\text{final mass} - \text{initial mass}}{\text{initial mass}} \times 100$.