BASIC
Define the term Ecosystem.
The community of organisms in an area along with their non-living surroundings.
What is another name for a Producer?
Autotroph.
A tick drinks blood from a dog. The tick gets food, but the dog gets sick. Which relationship is this?
Parasitism (😃 + ☹️).
Name three resources that act as "limiting factors" for a population of deer in a forest.
Food, water, and shelter/space.
In the ocean diagram, name one Abiotic factor.
Water, Rocks, or Sunlight (not explicitly listed in text, but implied by "non-living surroundings").
Sun → Grass → Grasshopper → Lizard → Owl.; Who is the 3rd level consumer?
The Owl.
An orchid grows high up on a tree branch to reach more sunlight. The tree is not helped, but it is also not harmed by the orchid being there. What type of relationship is this?
Commensalism (One benefits, one is unaffected: 😃 + 😐
Is a severe drought a biotic or abiotic limiting factor?
Abiotic (it is non-living).
What is the difference between a Population and a Community?
A population is all individuals of one species; a community is all the different populations in an area.
If an animal eats both plants and other animals, what is it called?
Omnivore.
A plover bird lands in a crocodile's mouth and eats the leftover food stuck in the crocodile's teeth. The bird gets a meal, and the crocodile gets its teeth cleaned (preventing infection). What type of relationship is this?
Mutualism (Both benefit: 😃 + 😃)
If a wildfire destroys half of the trees in a forest, what happens to the carrying capacity for the squirrels living there?
The carrying capacity decreases because there is less food and shelter available.
Is a dead log in a forest Biotic or Abiotic?
Biotic (The guide defines Biotic as "living," but in ecology, it often includes once-living things).
Based on the Grassland Food Web, name one Secondary Consumer.
Hyena or Cheetah.
What is the main difference between Commensalism and Mutualism?
In Mutualism, both organisms benefit. In Commensalism, only one benefits while the other is unaffected.
Why is a contagious disease considered a "limiting factor"?
Because it reduces the population size as individuals become sick and die, preventing the population from growing indefinitely.
You are studying a group of 500 Sugar Maple trees in a 10-acre forest. Are you studying a Community or a Population?
A Population
If a disease kills all the Primary Consumers in an ecosystem, what will eventually happen to the Producers?
Their population will likely grow out of control initially because nothing is eating them, which may eventually lead to overcrowding or lack of soil nutrients.
A vulture eats a dead deer. A tick drinks blood from a living deer. Why is the tick a parasite but the vulture is a scavenger?
A parasite feeds off a living host, while a scavenger eats organisms that are already dead.
If a population size suddenly spikes way above the carrying capacity line, what is the most likely result for that population in the next few months?
The population will crash or decrease significantly because there aren't enough resources to support the extra individuals.