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LC Ecology OL
Irish Leaving Cert Ecology Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecology | The study of the interaction between living things and their environment |
| Biosphere | The part of the planet containing living organisms |
| Ecosystem | A group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment |
| Habitat | The place where an organism (plant or animal) lives |
| Population | All the members of the same species living in an area |
| Community | All the different populations in an area (groups of different species) |
| Abiotic factors | Non-living factors ex currents, altitude |
| Biotic factors | Living factors ex. Food, predators |
| Climatic factors | Factors referring to the weather over a long period of time ex temperature, light intensity |
| Edaphic factors | Factors relating to the soil ex soil pH, soil type |
| Aquatic Environmental Factors | Light; currents; wave action; salt content; oxygen concentration |
| Energy Flow | Energy flows through an ecosystem, whereas nutrients (minerals) are recycled. |
| Producers | Organisms that can make their own food through photosynthesis (or chemosynthesis) |
| Consumers | Organisms that take in food from another organism |
| Herbivore | Animals that feed on plants only ex deer, sheep, rabbits |
| Carnivore | Animals that feed on other animals only ex lions, seals, eagles |
| Omnivore | Animals that feed on both plants and other animals ex, humans, badgers |
| Food Chain | A sequence of organisms in which each one is eaten by the next member in the chain ex: dandelion, butterfly, thrush, hawk |
| Trophic level | A feeding stage in a food chain |
| Food Web | A series of interlinked food chains. |
| Pyramid of Numbers | Representation of the number of organisms at each trophic level. |
| Niche | The functional role an organism plays in the community. (Organisms with identical niches will compete with each other.) |
| Nutrient Recycling | The way in which elements are exchanged between the living and non-living components of an ecosystem. |
| Carbon Cycle | The process by which carbon from the environment is converted to carbon in living things. |
| Nitrogen Cycle | To take nitrogen from the air and make it available for use by living things. |
| Nitrogen Fixation | The conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, ammonium and nitrates |
| Nitrification | The conversion of ammonia and ammonium to nitrates and then to nitrites |
| Denitrification | The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas |
| Pollution | Any harmful addition to the environment |
| Pollutants | Chemicals that contaminate the natural environment |
| Conservation | The protection and wise management of our natural resources and environment. |
| Eutrophication | Condition where lakes become over-enriched with nutrients, resulting from excess artificial fertilisers washed into rivers and lakes. Leads to lack of oxygen in the water |
| Waste Management | Preventing pollution and conserving the environment. Where possible it involves recycling. |
Created by:
embarrett
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