Upgrade to remove ads
Busy. Please wait.
Log in with Clever
or

show password
Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?  Sign up 
Sign up using Clever
or

Username is available taken
show password


Make sure to remember your password. If you forget it there is no way for StudyStack to send you a reset link. You would need to create a new account.
Your email address is only used to allow you to reset your password. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


Already a StudyStack user? Log In

Reset Password
Enter the associated with your account, and we'll email you a link to reset your password.

Irish Leaving Cert Ecology Definitions

        Help!  

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.  
🗑


   

Review the information in the table. When you are ready to quiz yourself you can hide individual columns or the entire table. Then you can click on the empty cells to reveal the answer. Try to recall what will be displayed before clicking the empty cell.
 
To hide a column, click on the column name.
 
To hide the entire table, click on the "Hide All" button.
 
You may also shuffle the rows of the table by clicking on the "Shuffle" button.
 
Or sort by any of the columns using the down arrow next to any column heading.
If you know all the data on any row, you can temporarily remove it by tapping the trash can to the right of the row.

 
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.

  Normal Size     Small Size show me how
Created by: embarrett
Popular Ecology sets