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Ecology mini test
7th grade ecology terms
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| habitat | Area where an organism lives |
| abiotic | all the non-living components of an ecosystem |
| biotic | all the living (or once living) components of an ecosystem |
| populations | all the members of one species living in a particular area |
| species | one specific type of organism |
| community | all the plants an animals in a certain area |
| ecosystem | All the living AND non-living things that interact together in a particular area |
| Direct observation | a method of determining population size - directly counting the organisms |
| indirect observation | a method of determining population size- counting evidence of the organism (nests, tunnels, scat, etc) |
| sampling | a method of determining population size - counting all the organisms in a small area and then multiplying to find the number in the big area |
| mark and recapture | a method of determining population size - marking an animal, releasing it and then tracking the animal later |
| natality rate | the birth rate in a population |
| mortality rate | the death rate in a population |
| limiting factors | an environmental factor that causes a population to decrease: food, water, space, density, weather |
| predation | one organism preying on another |
| competition | two or more populations competing for the same resources |
| predator | the animal that is hunting for food |
| prey | the animal that is eaten by another animal |
| symbiosis | two different organisms living in a close relationship togther |
| mutualism | a type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit |
| parasitism | a type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and one is harmed |
| commensalism | a type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is not affected |
| carrying capacity | the maximum amount of organisms in a population that an ecosystem can support |
| J- shape growth curve | rapid growth of a population |
| s- shaped growth curve | gentle growth, followed by rapid growth, followed by a leveling off of the population around the carrying capacity |
| bioaccumulation | the build-up of pesticides as it moves up through the food chain. results in harm to the top level predator |
| succession | a series of predictable changes in a community over time |
| primary succession | occurs where life has never existed - volcanic rock |
| secondary succession | occurs where life has already been - pond, old field, after a forest fire |
| pioneer species | the first species to occupy an area. Must be very hardy |
| climax community | the last stage of succession, a stable community that will remain in place until something dramatic happens |
| energy pyramid | shows the relative quantity of organisms in a food chain |
| decomposers | bacteria and fungi that return nutrients to the soil |
| food chain | a simple illustration of the transfer of energy and nutrients from one organism to the next |
| heterotroph | a consumer, an "other feeder" |
| autotroph | a producer, a "self feeder" |
| producers | organisms that make their own food - plants |
| consumers | organisms that eat other organisms |
| herbivore | plant eaters |
| carnivore | animal eaters |
| omnivore | eats plants and animals |
| scavengers | eats dead organisms |
| food web | a diagram that shows the complex transfer of food and nutrients in a community |
| lichens | example of symbiotic relationship. occurs between fungi and algae - mutualism |
| nitrogen cycle | uses nodules in roots to take nitrogen from air and make it available for plants |
| precipitation | rain, snow, sleet, hail |
| condensation | process of gas changing to liquid - needs coolness and particles |
| evaporation | process of liquid water changing to gas - needs heat |
Created by:
cheryl foley
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