Ecology Vocabulary: Interactions Within the Environment

An ecosystem is a:

• community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• type of weather pattern.

• group of stars in the galaxy.

• form of government.

Define abiotic factors.

• Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment

• Living organisms in the ecosystem

• Processes of photosynthesis and respiration

• Interactions between predators and prey

Biotic factors are defined as

• non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment

• living components that affect the organism

• climatic conditions affecting the habitat

• geological features of the environment

A habitat is (a)  

• a type of food
• a place where an organism lives
• a kind of weather
• a type of plant

A niche is:

• a small, specialized market for a particular product or service.

• a large, general market for all products and services.

• a type of plant found in tropical regions.

• a type of architectural design.

A limiting factor is:

• a factor that restricts the growth of a population

• a factor that enhances the growth of a population

• a factor that has no effect on the growth of a population

• a factor that is irrelevant to the growth of a population

What is carrying capacity?

• The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely

• The ability of an organism to carry its offspring

• The speed at which a population can grow

• The total number of species in an ecosystem

Energy flow in an ecosystem is the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another. Which of the following best describes this process?

• Energy is recycled within the ecosystem.

• Energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.

• Energy is created at each trophic level.

• Energy remains constant throughout the ecosystem.

What is a trophic level?

• A level in a food chain or ecological pyramid occupied by a group of organisms with similar feeding mode

• A type of ecosystem

• A classification of organisms based on their habitat

• A measure of biodiversity in an ecosystem

What are producers?

• Organisms that consume other organisms

• Organisms that produce their own food

• Organisms that decompose organic material

• Organisms that rely on others for food