Ecosystems
A community of living and nonliving things interacting in an environment.
What does “biotic” mean?
Living parts of an ecosystem.
What is carrying capacity?
The largest number of individuals an environment can support.
What is a limiting factor?
Anything that limits the size of a population.
Which organism makes its own food?
A producer.
What are the three main types of ecosystems?
Terrestrial, freshwater, and marine.
What does “abiotic” mean?
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
What happens when a population goes over its carrying capacity?
There won’t be enough resources; some organisms will die or move away.
Name one biotic limiting factor.
Predators, disease, competition.
What is an organism that breaks down dead material called?
A decomposer.
What is the main source of energy for almost all ecosystems?
The Sun.
Name three abiotic factors.
Examples: sunlight, temperature, water, soil, air.
What determines an ecosystem’s carrying capacity?
The amount of food, water, space, and shelter available.
Name one abiotic limiting factor.
Temperature, water, sunlight, or space.
What is a habitat?
The place where an organism lives and gets its needs met.
What are some ways energy moves through an ecosystem?
Through food chains and food webs, as organisms eat and are eaten.
Name three biotic factors.
Examples: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi
Give an example of an animal reaching its carrying capacity.
Example: Too many deer in a forest cause overgrazing and food shortage.
How do limiting factors affect population size?
They keep it from growing too large.
What is the difference between a predator and prey?
A predator hunts and eats other animals; prey is the animal that gets eaten.
Why is balance important in an ecosystem?
Because all organisms depend on each other; imbalance can cause species to die out or overpopulate.
How do abiotic and biotic factors depend on each other?
Living things need nonliving factors (like water and sunlight) to survive.
How can carrying capacity change over time?
It can increase or decrease if resources or conditions change.
What could happen if a limiting factor is removed?
The population might grow too large and cause imbalance.
What do plants need to make their own food?
Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.