Energy flow in ecosystems
What is an ecosystem?
A place where living and nonliving things interact.
What does the word competition mean in an ecosystem?
When organisms fight for the same resources like food, water, or space.
What is a structural adaptation?
A physical feature of an organism, like body parts or covering.
In a food chain, what organism uses sunlight to make its own food?
A producer.
What is the organism that eats producers called?
A primary consumer(herbivore)
What do we call all members of one species living in an area?
A population.
What is a limiting factor?
Anything that restricts the size of a population.
Why does a puffer fish puff up?
To scare predators and protect itself.
What is behavioral adaption?
An action or behavior an organism does to survive.
A remora attaches to a ray to ride and find food. The ray is not harmed. What interaction is this?
Commensalism.
What is a food web?
A network of connected food chains that share links.
How do organisms avoid competition?
By having different niches,such as eating different foods.
Why do desert plants like cacti have thick stems and spines?
To store water and protect themselves from animals.
Why do organisms compete more when a habitat becomes crowded?
Because there are fewer resources for more individuals.
What is camouflage?
When animals blend into their environment to hide from predators or catch prey.
In an energy pyramid, which level has the most organisms?
The producers at the bottom.
What type of relationship helps both organisms?
Mutualism.
How does mimicry help animals survive?
By copying the appearance of a dangerous or poisonous animal to avoid predators.
Why do some snakes mimic the color patterns of poisonous snake?
By copying the look of poisonous snake, harmless snakes trick predators into avoiding them.
Why do higher-level consumers(like hawks)have fewer organisms than lower levels?
Only 10% of energy moves up each level,so less energy is available for top consumers.
What might happen in a food web if the top carnivore is removed?
Prey populations increases, causing the ecosystem to become unbalanced.
What is parasitism?
A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
Why do orchids grow on tree trunks instead of soil?
Because their roots can absorb water from the air, and growing on tree trunks gives them more sunlight.
How do blubber and thick fur help animals survive in cold climates?
Blubber and thick fur trap heat inside them the animal's body, helping them stay warm in freezing environments.
Why do some animals change their behavior when seasons change?
Seasonal behaviors like migration or hibernation help animals survive when food becomes scarce or temperatures become extreme.