Ecology

• biotic means living
• Abiotic means non-living
• Biotic factors:

  • availability of food
  • Arrival of a new predator
  • Competition of new predators
  • New pathogens
• Abiotic factors:

  • light intensity
  • Temperature
  • Carbon oxygen
• water cycle:

  • water evaporates into the sky and turns into water vapour
  • Water vapour condenses to form clouds
  • Water in the clouds then falls to the ground as precipitation
  • Some water passes through the rocks and rims aquifers
  • Water drains back to the sea
• Transpiration:

  • plants take up water in their roots
  • this water moves the up in the xylem
  • passes out of the leaves through stomata as water vapour
• Animals take in water through drinking and food
• Animals release water in their urine, faeces and when they exhale
• What is the environment in which an organism lives called?

  Habitat
• What type of habitat do elephants live in?

  Grasslands
• What is a population?

  Total number of organisms of the same species
• What is a community in ecological terms?

  Populations of all different species
• What does the term 'biotic' refer to?

  Living components of an environment
• What does 'abiotic' refer to?

  Non-living components like water and minerals
• What is an ecosystem?

  Both biotic and abiotic parts interacting
• Why do organisms compete with each other?

  Materials are in short supply
• What do plants compete for?

  Light, space, water, and minerals
• What do animals compete for?

  Food, water, and mating partners
• What is interdependence in ecology?

  Species relying on each other for survival
• What happens if a species disappears from a community?

  It can affect the whole community
• What is a stable community?

  Populations remain constant and balanced
• What are functional adaptations?

  Adaptations related to body functions
• How do camels adapt to their environment?

  Thick skin reduces water loss
• What is the purpose of a camel's leathery mouth?

  To chew desert plants with thorns
• How do kangaroos adapt behaviorally?

  They are nocturnal to avoid heat
• What is the role of cacti in dry conditions?

  They conserve water through adaptations
• What is a food chain?

  A sequence of organisms feeding on each other
• What is the role of producers in a food chain?

  They synthesize complex molecules
• What is a primary consumer?

  An organism that eats producers
• What is a secondary consumer?

  An animal that eats primary consumers
• What happens if a new predator arrives in a community?

  Predator-prey cycles may change
• How do plants contribute to the carbon cycle?

  They take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis
• What is the carbon cycle?

  The process of carbon moving through ecosystems
• What do decomposers do in the carbon cycle?

  Break down waste and dead remains
• What is the impact of burning fossil fuels?

  It releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
• What is random sampling in ecology?

  A method to compare organisms in different areas
• What is a transect in ecological studies?

  A line used to measure species distribution
• What is biodiversity?

  The variety of different species in an ecosystem
• How does biodiversity affect ecosystem stability?

  Higher biodiversity makes ecosystems more stable
• What human activities negatively affect biodiversity?

  Deforestation and pollution