ecology test

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Habitat

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions.

Predation

The preying of one animal on others.

Competition

The interaction between organisms or species in which both the organisms or species are harmed while competing for limited resources.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship between two organisms in which both organisms benefit.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of another, typically harming it.

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Amensalism

A relationship in which one organism is inhibited or destroyed and the other is unaffected.

Schooling/flocking/herding

Behavioral patterns in which animals group together to increase protection from predators and enhance foraging efficiency.

Migration

Seasonal movement of animals from one region to another for breeding or feeding.

What type of growth occurs when an organism has unlimited resources?

Exponential growth.

What would happen to the food supply of this organism?

The food supply would become limited over time as the population increases.

What two conditions would be necessary for an organism’s population to grow exponentially?

Unlimited resources and favorable environmental conditions.

Explain carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably.

Explain what a predator and prey relationship would look like on a graph, if you were graphing population.

It would show oscillating patterns; as predator populations increase, prey populations decrease and vice versa.

Explain the 10% Rule

Only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem.

Explain the different types of cooperation.

Different types of cooperation include mutualism, commensalism, and social behaviors that enhance survival.

What are the main impacts to biodiversity caused by humans?

Habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, population growth, climate change, overexploitation.

What are the four spheres that make up an ecosystem?

Lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living organisms).

What roles do humans play in the carbon cycle?

Humans contribute to the carbon cycle through burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and respiration.

Label the water cycle.

The water cycle includes evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff.

Label the trophic levels on the energy pyramid below. Explain how the organisms interact. (Who eats who?)

Producers at the base, primary consumers eat producers, secondary consumers eat primary consumers, and tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces.

Predation

An interaction in which one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).

Competition

An interaction between organisms or species in which both need a resource that is in limited supply.

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both benefit.

Parasitism

A relationship between two species in which one benefits and the other is harmed.

Commensalism

A relationship between two species in which one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Amensalism

A relationship in which one organism is harmed and the other is unaffected.

Schooling/flocking/herding

A type of cooperation where animals group together for protection and other benefits.

Seasonal