The Carbon Cycle
This process takes in carbon dioxide from the air and stores it as sugar, allowing plants to produce energy.
What is photosynthesis?
A relationship where both organisms benefit is called this.
What is mutualism?
This process refers to the gradual accumulation of toxins in an organism’s body over time.
What is bioaccumulation?
These species are used to gauge the health of an ecosystem.
What are indicator species?
This is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.
What is ecological succession?
This is the process by which carbon is returned to the atmosphere when organisms breathe or decompose.
What is respiration?
A relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed is called this.
What is commensalism?
This term refers to the increase in concentration of toxins as you move up the food chain.
What is biomagnification?
Lichens are often used as indicators of this type of pollution.
What is air pollution?
This type of succession occurs in an area where no ecosystem has existed before, such as after a volcanic eruption.
What is primary succession?
The burning of these materials releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
What are fossil fuels?
A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed is called this.
What is parasitism?
These harmful substances are often found in the environment and bioaccumulate in animals, including mercury and pesticides.
What are pollutants or toxins?
Frogs and amphibians are commonly used to monitor this environmental factor in aquatic ecosystems.
What is water quality?
This type of succession occurs after a disturbance in an existing ecosystem, such as a forest fire.
What is secondary succession?
This process describes the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
What is the carbon cycle?
This type of symbiotic relationship exists between oxpeckers and large herbivores like buffalo, where the birds eat pests off the animals.
What is mutualism?
This type of organism, often at the top of the food chain, can be most affected by biomagnification.
What is a predator or apex predator?
This is the reason why some species, like birds or insects, are used to study the health of specific environments.
What is their sensitivity to changes in the environment?
The climax community is the final, stable stage of succession, often characterized by this type of ecosystem.
What is a mature, stable forest or ecosystem?
This process involves the breakdown of dead plants and animals by decomposers, releasing carbon back into the soil and atmosphere.
What is decomposition?
This term describes a mutualistic relationship where two very different species work together to benefit one another, such as bees and flowers.
What is pollination?
This is the reason why large fish or birds of prey may experience higher levels of toxins, such as mercury, in their bodies.
What is biomagnification?
The introduction of this species to Australia has caused problems for farmers by attacking crops and livestock.
What is the cane toad?
These organisms are typically the first to inhabit an area undergoing primary succession.
What are pioneer species?