Ecosystem Dynamics
What happens to predator and prey populations when one is overhunted?
If the prey population is overhunted, the predator population may decline.
What do the arrows in a food web represent in a food web or food chain?
The transfer of energy.
How can you identify herbivores in a food chain or food web?
The animal only eats plants.
What is an invasive species?
A non-native organism that can cause harm to the environment.
How can you tell which animals in a food pyramid are carnivores?
If the organism only eats other animals.
How do different animal populations depend on each other in an ecosystem?
The populations of other animals are connected in a food chain/web. If one animals population declines, another population may decline.
How does energy from the sun enter an ecosystem?
Producers convert the sunlight into energy.
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?
Biotic factors are living organisms that make up an ecosystem, abiotic factors are non living factors such as temperature, amount of sunlight etc.
How can protecting natural habitats help maintain biodiversity?
Providing animals with the proper habitat allows all populations to thrive.
What are different feeding levels in a food web called?
Trophic level
How can the decline of one species, like grasshoppers, affect other animals in the community?
It could cause the decline of the ecosystem, if grasshoppers decline then their predator's population would decline.
Why do plants (producers) get the most energy in a food chain?
Why are producers necessary in an ecosystem?
Producers are the foundation of the food web. Without producers, there is no food web.
How could invasive species harm the environment?
The invasive species will not have any natural predators, limiting resources for the natural organisms.
Which trophic level or organism gets the least energy?
The apex predator or tertiary consumer in the food web.
How do seasonal changes influence the behaviors of animals in a community?
Environmental factors can influence animal populations. Ex: mating, migration, hibernation.
What role do decomposers play in a food web?
When an organism dies, decomposers break it down and recycle the nutrients back into the ecosystem.
What is the main difference between a food web and a food chain?
A food chain shows how energy flows from one organism to another, while a food web shows the interconnectedness of multiple food chains.
In what ways can human activities disrupt natural ecosystems?
One example: Paving a road could lead to flooding since the road is not permeable.
What is a niche?
The role an organism plays in its environment.
How do symbiotic relationships, like mutualism and parasitism, affect ecosystem dynamics?
These relationships could regulate populations and contribute to the stability of an ecosystem.
In a food chain, why is it usually only possible to have a limited number of top predators?
There is less energy as you move up the food chain.
What happens to energy as it moves through a food chain?
The amount of energy decreases as it moves through a food chain?
How does protecting endangered species contribute to overall ecosystem health?
Protecting an endangered species may allow it have a stable population which will keep the food web healthy.
Which factor most significantly influences what type of ecosystem develops?
Climate