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Ecology
section 5.1
20
Biology
11th Grade
03/14/2012

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Cards

Term
Define species
Definition
a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Term
Define habitat
Definition
the environment in which a species normally ives or the location of a living organism
Term
Define population
Definition
a group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time
Term
Define community
Definition
a group of populations living and interacting with each other in an area
Term
Define ecosystem
Definition
a community and its abiotic environment
Term
Define ecology
Definition
the study of relationships between living organisms and between organisms and their environment
Term
Define autotroph
Definition

an organism that synthesizes its organic molecules from simple inorganic molecules

 

 

Ex: producers

Term
Define heterotroph
Definition

an organism that obtains organic molecules from other organisms

 

 

 

Ex: consumers + decomposers

Term
Define consumer
Definition

an organism that ingests other organic matter that is living or recently killed

 

 

 

Ex: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary

Term
Define detritivore
Definition
an organism that ingests non-living organic matter
Term
Define saprotroph
Definition
an organism that lives in or on non-living organic matter, secreting digestive enzymes into it and absorbing the products of digestion
Term
Explain the energy flow in a food chain
Definition
Energy losses between trophic levels include material not consumed or material not assimilated, and heat is lost through cell respiration
Term
Energy transformations are never...?
Definition
never 100% efficient
Term
What is a pyramid of energy?
Definition
  • shows the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next in a community
  • energy measured in kJ m-2 yr-1
  • 10% loss of energy going up to the trophic levels
Term
Saprotrophic bacteria and fungi (decomposers) do what to nutrients?
Definition
they recycle nutrients
Term
Energy enters and exits an ecosystem but nutrients must be...?
Definition
recycled
Term
What is a food web?
Definition
shows how food chains are linked together into more complex feeding relationships
Term
What is a food chain?
Definition

shows a simple linear flow of who eats whom and therefore, the energy and matter flowing through the links in the chain

 

 

 

bluegrass --> grasshopper --> field mice --> hawk

Term
Define trophic levels
Definition
the trophic level of an organism defines the feeding relationship of that organism to other organisms
Term
What is decomposition?
Definition

a biological process...

 

  • formation of soil
  • recycling of nutrients stored in organic matter
  • reduction of high energy C compounds
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