Population Ecology (SC.912.L.17.5)
This occurs when a population levels off and fluctuates around a maximum sustainable size.
What is carrying capacity?
In a food web, arrows represent this.
What is energy transfer?
These non-native organisms can reduce biodiversity by competing with native species for resources.
What are invasive species?
This trophic level would cause the greatest ecosystem impact if damaged because all other levels depend on it for energy.
What are producers?
This organism directly receives energy captured by producers in the food web.
What is the primary consumer?
Iguanas in the Florida Keys are removed because they can do this to native populations.
What is take up resources and cause native populations to decline?
This abiotic factor can cause seasonal population declines due to temperature and precipitation changes.
What are seasonal temperature and precipitation variations?
Energy decreases at higher trophic levels because of this principle.
What is energy loss as you move up trophic levels?
This is the role decomposers play in maintaining ecosystem balance.
What is recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem?
When a predator population decreases significantly, this typically happens to the prey population before it stabilizes.
What is an increase in the prey population until stabilization occurs?
This correctly shows energy transfer in the food web: the owl receives energy from this organism. (image on canvas)
What is the frog?
When prey populations increase unchecked, this type of ecological balance is disrupted.
What is predator-prey population balance?
When bat houses were installed and bat populations increased, this was identified as the limiting factor.
What is shelter?
This explains why predator populations are smaller than producer populations.
What is energy loss between trophic levels (10% rule)?
This ecological concept explains why ecosystems with more biodiversity are generally more stable.
What is ecosystem resilience?