B7a

• What is the definition of environment?

  The biotic and abiotic conditions surrounding an organism
• What is a habitat?

  The place where organisms live
• What is a population?

  Individuals of one species in a habitat
• What is a community?

  Populations of different species in a habitat
• What is ecology?

  The study of living things in their environment
• What is an ecosystem?

  The interaction of a community with abiotic parts
• What is an organism?

  An individual living thing
• What are adaptations?

  Features that allow organisms to survive
• What are extremophiles?

  Organisms living in extreme environments
• What are structural adaptations?

  Features of an organism’s body, like shape
• What are behavioral adaptations?

  The way an organism behaves, like migration
• What are functional adaptations?

  Processes happening inside an organism
• How do polar bears adapt to their environment?

  They have white fur for camouflage
• How do bears survive winter?

  They hibernate to lower metabolism
• How do camels conserve water?

  They produce very little urine
• What is interdependence in ecology?

  Species depend on each other for survival
• What is competition in ecology?

  Species compete for resources like food
• What happens if a species is removed from a community?

  It can affect the whole community
• What happened to red squirrels in the UK?

  Competition with grey squirrels decreased their population
• What are the methods to measure population size in a habitat?

  • Use sampling techniques
  • Employ transects and quadrats
  • Count organisms in randomly placed squares
  • Count organisms along a line
• Why is it important to use random coordinates for quadrats?

  To ensure a completely random sample
• What are photosynthetic organisms known as?

  Producers of biomass for life
• What do food chains represent?

  Feeding relationships starting with a producer
• What is a predator?

  A consumer that kills and eats other animals
• What is prey?

  A consumer that is killed and eaten
• What happens in a stable community regarding predators and prey?

  Their populations rise and fall in cycles
• What are abiotic factors?

  Non-living factors affecting a community
• What are biotic factors?

  Living factors affecting a community
• What do arrows in food chains represent?

  The flow of energy from the producer