ecology quiz oct 1st

Quiz - abiotic+biotic, ecological hierarchy in detail, food pathways & webs, producers & consumers etc. , primary/secondary succession, dispersion, predator-prey relationship, invasive species, forms of competition, (slide 24), *=not sure if Ms.das mentioned it

What are abiotic factors? Some examples?

nonliving components in an ecosystem, ex: sunlight, soil, water

What are biotic factors? Some examples?

living components in an ecosystem, ex: organism & trees

Order of ecological hierarchy? smallest to largest

organism —> population —> community —> ecosystem —> biosphere

What’s an organism?

a single individual

what is a population?

individuals of the same SPECIES in the same HABITAT

what’s a community?

populations of several species in one habitat

what’s an ecosystem?

a habitat’s community + its abiotic factors

whats a biosphere?

this planet earth

What is a trophic level?

An organism’s feeding level/nutritional position in a food chain.

What is a food chain?

A linear, single energy pathway through trophic levels.

What is a food web?

multiple feeding pathways involving organisms at more than one trophic level.

*how much energy passes to the next trophic level?

Only a max of 10% of energy passes to the level above

what do decomposers/detritivores get energy from?

Dead organisms, detritus, soil microbes, and bacteria.

what is primary succession?

Establishment and development of an ecosystem in an uninhabited environment.

What is secondary succession?

changes after a disturbance in an established ecosystem+ it occurs faster.

What are the three dispersion patterns?

Clumped, uniform, & random

What are the two forms of competition?

1. Intraspecific—>within a species

2. Interspecific—>between two species

What is the direction of food transfer?

Producers → herbivores → carnivores.

what does ENERGY = FOOD mean?

Energy flows through organisms as food is transferred

What are the main trophic levels in energy flow?

Primary producers → primary consumers → secondary consumers → tertiary consumers → apex predators (decomposers are connected to all levels)

what is a decomposers/detrivores niche?

to break down & recycle matter

Why does a food web have multiple pathways?

Organisms can feed at more than one trophic level.

What are examples of primary succession?

volcanic lava creates new land or glacial retreat exposes new land

why is secondary succession faster?

it occurs after a disturbance in an already established ecosystem

What are examples of secondary succession disturbances?

Forest fires, floods, & tree falls

What causes clumped dispersion?

uneven distribution of resources

What does clumped dispersion look like generally?

organisms occupy the same area or in some cases a specific area

What causes uniform dispersion?

territoriality - an individual/group defends an area

what does uniform dispersion look like?

members of the population are spaced equal distances apart

What defines random dispersion?

each individuals' position is independent of other individuals’ locations

how are invasive species introduced?

introduced into a new area through HUMAN interactions

what happens when a predator eats prey?

the predator benefits while the prey does not!

*what is the competitive exclusion principle?

two species cannot live in the same niche/area while competing for the same resource

*what can result from competitive exclusion?

migration, adaptations, or extinction

What is a niche?

the role of a species within its environment

what is resource partitioning?

two species live in the same niche and compete for resources

*what happens through natural selection in resource partitioning?

only one species evolves a trait that is passed down

what is predation?

predator eats the prey-> one species benefits while the other does not

what can prey animals evolve to defend themselves?

active defenses, hiding, fleeing, or even defending

what is the relationship in predation?

+/- (positive/negative)

what is herbivory?

an interaction where organisms eat plants

What is the relationship in herbivory?

+/- (positive/negative)

what is the term symbiosis?

when 2 or more species live in direct contact w/ each other

what are the three types of symbiosis?

mutualism, commensalism, & parasitism

What is mutualism?

both organisms benefit.

What is the relationship in mutualism?

+/+ (positive/positive)

what is commensalism?

one organism benefits but the other is unaffected

What is the relationship in commensalism?

+/0 (positive/neutral)

what is parasitism?

The parasite benefits while the host is harmed

what is the relationship in parasitism?

+/- (postive/negative)

What is facilitation?

organisms have positive effects on other species’ survival + their reproduction (no contact though)

do organisms in facilitation live in direct contact?

Nope

What is the relationship in facilitation?

+/+ (positive/postive)