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Ecology Terms and Definitions, Quizzes of Biology

Definitions for various terms related to ecology, including abiotic and biotic factors, habitats, organismal ecology, population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and more. It covers concepts such as competition, symbiosis, herbivory, and parasitism.

Typology: Quizzes

2010/2011

Uploaded on 12/12/2011

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TERM 1
ecology
DEFINITION 1
the study of organisms and their interaction with the
environment
TERM 2
abiotic
DEFINITION 2
physical environment, environment's nonliving component,
chemical:temp, light, water, and air
TERM 3
biotic
DEFINITION 3
all organisms in the area, the living component of the
environment (interactions with other species-e.g., predation,
competition)
TERM 4
habitat
DEFINITION 4
specific environment an organism lives in, includes biotic and
abiotic factors of its surroundings
TERM 5
organismal ecology
DEFINITION 5
an organism's structure, physiology, and (for animals)
behavior meet the challenges posed by the environment
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ecology

the study of organisms and their interaction with the environment TERM 2

abiotic

DEFINITION 2 physical environment, environment's nonliving component, chemical:temp, light, water, and air TERM 3

biotic

DEFINITION 3 all organisms in the area, the living component of the environment (interactions with other species-e.g., predation, competition) TERM 4

habitat

DEFINITION 4 specific environment an organism lives in, includes biotic and abiotic factors of its surroundings TERM 5

organismal ecology

DEFINITION 5 an organism's structure, physiology, and (for animals) behavior meet the challenges posed by the environment

population ecology

the study of biological factors that affect the sizes of populations. including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size TERM 7

community ecology

DEFINITION 7 the study of an assemblage of populations of various species living close enough for potential interaction TERM 8

ecosystem ecology

DEFINITION 8 all the abiotic factors in addition to the community of species in a certain area, focuses on energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among the various abiotic and biotic factors TERM 9

abiotic factors

DEFINITION 9

  1. environmental temperature: affects the distribution of organisms bc of its effects on biological processes2. water: availability among habitats3. salinity: affects water balance of organisms through osmosis4. sunlight: light intensity and quality can affect photosynthesis in ecosystems, important to the development and behavior of organisms sensitive to the photoperiod5. wind: amplifies the effects of temperature on organisms by increasing heat loss due to evaporation and convection, can change the morphology of plants TERM 10

aquatic biomes

DEFINITION 10 account for the largest part of the biosphere in terms of area

patterns of dispersion

environmental and social factors influence the spacing of individuals in a population TERM 17

clumped dispersion

DEFINITION 17 individuals aggregate in patches. may be influenced by resource availability and behavior TERM 18

uniform dispersion

DEFINITION 18 individuals are evenly distributed. may be influenced by social interactions such as territoriality TERM 19

random dispersion

DEFINITION 19 the position of each individual is independent of other individuals TERM 20

ecological footprint

DEFINITION 20 an estimate of the amount of land required to provide the raw materials an individual or a population consumes, including: food, fuel, water, housing, waste disposal. is 9. hectares per person in the US

demography

the study of the vital statistics of a population and how they change over time. death and birth rates are particular interests TERM 22

interspecific

competition

DEFINITION 22 occurs when species compete for a particular resource that is in short supply TERM 23

competitive exclusion

DEFINITION 23 the local elimination of one of the two competing species TERM 24

ecological niche

DEFINITION 24 the sum of an organism's abiotic and biotic resources in its environment TERM 25

competitive exclusion principle

DEFINITION 25 states that two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist in the same place

mimicry

in some cases one prey species may gain significant protection by imitating the appearance of another TERM 32

herbivory

DEFINITION 32 the consumption of plant parts or algae by an animal. has led to the evolution of plant mechanical and chemical defenses and consequent adaptions by herbivores TERM 33

parasitism

DEFINITION 33 one organism derives its nourishment form another which is harmed in the process. exerts substantial influence on populations and the structure of communities. pathogens, disease-causing agents are typically bacteria, viruses, or protists TERM 34

commensalism

DEFINITION 34 one species benefits and the other is not affected