Populations
This kind of growth occurs in areas with unlimited resources?
Exponential Growth
Why are produces an essential part of an ecosystem?
They are the start of every food chain.
The population size that the environment can sustain is the
Carrying Capacity
What happens to biodiversity as we get further away from the equator?
It decreases
Species that have a disproportionately large effect on their community structure are known as...
Keystone Species
Spread of disease, parasites and competition are all examples of what kind of limiting factors?
Density-dependent limiting factors
Organisms that break down dead organisms and organ matter are called
Decomposers
What is population density?
The number of individuals in a defined area
The physical space where an organism makes its home is its
Habitat
A group of individuals that belong to the same species, living in a given area at the same time are called
A population
What kind of growth occurs when the population size is limited by resources and space?
Logistic growth
What does the arrow show in a food chain?
The flow of energy
What is a food web?
An interconnected web of food chains
Living factors that are part of the ecosystem are called
Biotic factors
Lag period
What is 1 good thing and 1 bad thing about living in a high population density?
Good --> Easier to find a mate and reproduce.
Bad --> Diseases spread quickly
Most energy is lost as heat. When is this produced?
During cellular respiration
What is a close relationship between individuals of two different species that live together?
Symbiotic relationship
A relationship between two individuals of different species where one individual benefits and the other is unaffected is called
Commensalism
An area of the planet that is characterized by the climate and the species found there is known as
a biome
What do population dispersion patterns tell us?
How species behave and how the distribution and abundance of environmental resources affect them
Create a food chain with 4 levels and label them correctly
Answers will vary. Producer --> primary consumer --> secondary consumer --> Tertiary consumer
What is niche?
An organism's role in its community, or how it "fits in"
Which type of symbiosis is this: Monarch butterflies consume nectar from the milkweed plant and lay their eggs on its leaves. As they collect nectar from plant to plant, they help pollinate the milkweed.
Mutualism
What are the three things smaller populations are at risk of?
1. Inbreeding
2. Genetic mutations
3. Genetic drift
Why do ecologists track any declines in population size?
To help inform conservation efforts to save species from extinction. And to see if the conservation efforts are working.
In a marine food web, the total biomass of algae far outweighs the total biomass of all the killer whales. Why?
The massive loss of energy between trophic levels.
Graphs that show how likely individuals of each species are to survive at each age are known as...
Survivorship curves
What are the 3 different kind of species in an ecosystem?
1. Foundation
2. Keystone
3. Invasive
What kind of dispersion is used to describe populations in which the population members are usually solitary and go their own ways.
Random
What is the difference between intraspecific competition and interspecific competition?
Intraspecific competition is between members of the same species and is more intense.
Interspecific competition is between members of different species and is less intense.
Why are most food chains limited to 4 or 5 trophic levels?
What is biodiversity?
The variety of living organisms in an area.
What is a community of different species and their interactions with each other and their physical environment
An ecosystem
Most energy is lost as
Abiotic factors such as wildfires, flooding and pollution are all examples of
Density-independent limiting factors
What is the 10% rule?
Only 10% of energy stored as biomass in one trophic level ends up as biomass in the next trophic level.
Organisms that obtain energy by eating plants or other organisms are called
Which ecosystems are more resilient to change?
Ecosystems with high biodiversity.
Where are the decomposers found on an energy pyramid?
On the side