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Ecology Semester 1 Review

Terms in this set (58)

biome
large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
scavenger
animals that feed on the remains of dead animals
parasitism
relationship between 2 species in shich one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed
predation
an interaction between 2 organisms in which one organism, the predator, kills and feeds on the other organism, the prey
invasive species
non-native to the ecosystem whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Joshua trees are found in which desert?
Mojave desert
food web
a diagram that shows the feeding relationship between organisms in an ecosytem
how could farming on a grassland impact biodiversity?
decrease biodiversity because only one crop is planted
indicator species
a species that shows the health of an ecosystem
Why is the Mesquite tree less dependent on rain than a Saguaro cactus?
Mesquite roots can go very deep to find water
biological extinction
a species is no longer found anywhere on earth
ecological extinction
reduction of a species to such a low abundance that, although it is still present in the community, it will no longer interact significantly with other species.
local extinction
species that ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere.
competitive exclusion
two species that compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist.
best explanation for why people get bitten by rattlesnakes
people are trying to handle the rattlesnakes
organism
a living thing
population
a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed
community
a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
ecosystem
a community of organisms and their abiotic environment
producer/autotroph
a photosynthetic organism that can make it's own food
primary consumer
herbivore
secondary consumer
eats an organism that eats plants/ carnivore
abiotic factor
nonliving part of the environment, including water, rocks, light and temeprature
When an area is cleared for housing, which tropic level is disturbed first
producers
Sonoran Desert traits
two rainy seasons, one in the winter and one in the summer
when an organism dies and decomposes which element is returned to the soil to be recycled?
carbon
How is the current mass extinction different from previous ones?
it is occurring at a much faster rate
Ponderosa pine tress represent which biome?
Taiga
tundra characteristicss
no trees, small plants like lichen, very cold
deciduous forest characteristics
leaves on the trees change color during the fall
habitat fragmentation
division of large, continuous habitats into smaller, more isolated remnants.
consequences of habitat fragmentation
Creates barriers, increases edges, creates habitats that are too small
terms related to the water cycle
condensation, precipitation, evaporation
Saguaro cacti are found in which desert
Sonoran desert
biodivesity
variety of organisms, genetic variation of a population, variety of species in a community, variety of communities in an ecosystem
How is biodiversity important to humans
medicines come from plants, crops come from wild species, healthy ecosytems = healthy Earth
respiration
gas exchange
most free nitrogen (nitrogen gas) is found where?
atmosphere
process of organic nitrogen converted to free nitrogen
denitrification
process that turns atmospheric gas into forms useful to living organisms
nitrogen fixation
where does oxygen come from in the carbon cycle?
photosynthesis
how did Native Americans use the Mesquite tree
fire, medicine, food
what happens to climate as altitude increases
it would get colder because the elevation is increasing
Yucca plant is found in which desert?
Chihuahuan desert
source of all energy on Earth
sun
what percent of the sun's energy is used for photosynthesis?
0.1%
clear cutting
removing all of the trees from an area
ways humans are trying to save endangered species
breeding programs, gene banks, saving habitats
3 wildlife laws
CITES, Endangered Species Act, Lacey Act
biosphere
part of the Earth where life exists
path of energy through an ecosystem
sun, plant, insect, animal
biotic factor which determines animals found in a biome
plants
organic
a molecule has a carbon backbone with some hydrogen thrown in for good measure. Living creatures are made of various kinds of organic compounds.
how do bats help the saguaro cactus
they pollinate it
Species are prone to extinction when
low population, specialized niche, low reproductive rate
Main reason species are endangered
habitat destruction
which abiotic factors determine plant life in a biome
soil type, precipitation, temperature
heterotroph
organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms
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