Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support
grass --> mouse --> cat --> coyote . Describe what will happen to the other species in this ecosystem if the mouse population goes extinct.
Grass population will go up. Cat and coyote populations will go down.
State one reason why producers are on the bottom of an energy/biomass pyramid and why apex predators are at the top.
Producers are on the bottom because it is the largest area of the pyramid and the producers contain the most energy and biomass. Apex predators are at the top in the smallest section of the pyramid because they contain the least amount of energy and biomass.
What are pioneer species? Provide 2 examples.
The first species to colonize an area. Ex. lichens, mosses, grass
What is mutualism? Provide one example.
Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit (+/+). Examples will vary.
Name one biotic and one abiotic factor that would limit the size of a squirrel population in Tioga County.
Biotic - mates, predators, food source, etc.
Abiotic - temperature, climate, water, space, etc.
Draw a food web with 2 producers, 2 herbivores, 2 carnivores, and 2 decomposers.
Answers vary.
*Picture of energy/biomass pyramid* .
Does this represent a stable or unstable ecosystem? Support your answer.
Unstable because there is not enough algae to sustain that many plankton. The plankton population will quickly eat all the available algae, then the plankton population will starve to death which will cause the small and large fish to starve to death.
*Picture of succession*
Explain why each stage is important for the stage that follows it.
The first stage creates more soil and more fertile soil which allows for more and bigger plants to be able to survive and grow during later stages.
Which is more stable, a very small rainforest or a very large cornfield? Support your answer.
small rainforest because it has more biodiversity. More biodiversity leads to a more stable ecosystem.
What is the major environmental factor that limits the number of plants that can live on an ocean floor.
amount of sunlight
*Picture of Food Web*
What type of organism is Species A?
Producer / autotroph / plant
*Picture of energy pyramid* .
Draw a bar graph to represent the relative energy content of the levels of this pyramid. The X-axis should be the 4 levels and Y-axis should be the relative energy content.
Answers will vary.
*Picture of graph*
Describe what this graph is showing. Formulate an explanation for the changes shown in this ecosystem.
A once stable ecosystem gets altered somehow and then recovers. When the stability dropped, it was probably because the level of biodiversity in the area dropped. Then, biodiversity increased again, causing ecosystem stability to increase again.
Create a visual representation of 3 levels of ecological organization. Be sure to visually show the relative sizes and level of biodiversity.
Answers vary