Ecology By Ashley Olsen

What is ecology? Ecology is the study of the relationship between the environment and living organism Their interactions

What are individual organisms? Individual organisms are the smallest unit that an ecologist would concern themselves with

What are species? Species are the same organisms (as a group) that live in the same location at the same time. They are capable of breeding and producing fertile young

What are populations? A group of species They may or may not interact with one another These populations make up a community

What are communities? They are a group of all the populations interacting with each other

What are ecosystems? Ecosystems are a group of habitats When you put different habitats together, you get ecosystems

What is a biosphere? A biosphere is all of the places on Earth and where the atmosphere/oceans/ caves etc. where life exists

What is a habitat? A habitat is where all of the biotic interact with the abiotic features

What are abiotic factors? Abiotic factors are non-living factors in the environment

What is the First Tropic Level/ Producers in the food pyramid? The first level is equal to something taking a step up in the pyramid There is the most energy that comes from the sun

What is the Second Tropic Level/ Primary Consumers in the food pyramid? The second level is the first level of consumers A consumer = a heterotroph Herbivores

What is the Third Tropic Level/Secondary Consumers in the food pyramid? A heterotroph Carnivores and/ or omnivores Consume the primary consumers and maybe the producers

What is the Fourth Tropic Level/Tertiary Consumer in the food pyramid? The top of the pyramid Third level consumer but its on the fourth level Carnivores or omnivores that consume primary consumer and things below them

What is the Fifth Tropic Level/Quandary Consumer The Fifth Tropic level is when you rarely get a Fourth level consumer This level doesn’t have enough energy to supply them In this level there is .1 calories of energy

What is the Flow of Energy in a Tropic Level? A you go down in the pyramid, the amount of food required for you to consume gets larger and larger It is impossible to supply if there are large quantities at the top of the pyramid

What is the difference between a food pyramid and a food web? Food Pyramid: It may talk about different types of animals and plants or it may talk about one type. Food Web: It talks about many types of animals and plants

What is a decomposer? A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead animals and recycles the material back into the environment

What is an autotroph (photosynthesis)? An autotroph is an organism that is capable of making its own food Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight = Glucose + Oxygen

What is a heterotroph? A heterotroph is an organism that is not able to make it’s own food and it gets its nutrients from other sources

What is an herbivore? An herbivore is an organism that only eats plants

What is a carnivore? A carnivore is an organism that only eats meat

What is an omnivore? An omnivore is a organism that eats both meats and plants; eats everything

What is a saprobe? A saprobe is a form of decomposers, like bacteria, that help to recycle materials back into the environment

What is a scavenger? A scavenger is something that can eat dead things

What is carry capacity? This is the amount of individuals in a species that an amount of land can support

What are limiting factors? Limiting factors have access to resources. These resources are food, water, shelter and money

What is density dependent? Food is density dependent The more people you have, the less food you will have They are all affected by population

What is density independent? Density independent is when everyone is equally affected no matter how many individuals there are

What is the competition between and among species? Between – food, shelter and water Within the same species – food, shelter, water and mates

What is symbiosis? Symbiosis is the way two or more organisms interact with each other

What is competition? Competition is an interaction between organisms or species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another.

What is mutualism? Mutualism has an equal relationship Both organisms benefit from this, no organisms are harmed

What is parasitism? Parasitism is when one animal benefits (the parasite) and one organism is harmed (the host) They do not want to kill the host, they want to make it as sick as possible If the host dies, the parasite will most likely die

What is commensalism? Commensalism is when one organism benefits and the other organism neither benefits nor harmed

What is the predator/prey? A predator is the one who hunts The prey is the one that is hunted The predator population lags behind the prey in numbers The prey population is lower

What is amensalism? Amensalism is when One organism benefits and completely destroys/kills the other organism

What is the J-curve? Tend to be small To produce a lot of young They reach sexual maturity at an early age They have little or no parental evolvement This is affected by the environment

What is the S-curve? Tend to be large Produce only a few young Reach sexual maturity later They have a lot of parental care The environment is a very important factor in their life