What is ecology?
The study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment.
What are the two main branches of ecology?
Autecology and synecology.
Define autecology.
The study of a single organism or species and its environment.
Define synecology.
The study of relationships between groups of organisms or species within a shared area.
What is the biosphere?
The Earth's zone occupied by living organisms.
Name the three components of the biosphere.
Lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), and atmosphere (air).
What is a habitat?
The specific place where an organism lives.
Define niche.
The role an organism plays in its interactions with others.
What is an ecosystem?
A system of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment.
What are the two main components of an ecosystem?
Biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components.
What are producers in an ecosystem?
Autotrophs like green plants that produce food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Name three categories of consumers.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.
What is the role of decomposers?
Breaking down dead plants and animals, recycling nutrients back to the soil.
Name two abiotic factors in an ecosystem.
Sunlight and water.
What are edaphic factors?
Soil, rocks, and topography.
Name one instrument used to measure rainfall.
Rain gauge.
What instrument measures wind speed?
Anemometer.
How do green plants interact in an ecosystem?
They use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates through photosynthesis.
How do decomposers benefit ecosystems?
They return nutrients to the soil for plants to use.
What do animals release during respiration that plants use for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide.
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