Interactions in Ecosystems
What is a niche?
For 1st hour- what is a "grandma?"
The role of an organism in its environment
What is the series of predictable changes an ecosystem undergoes over time referred to as?
Succession
Biodiversity increases as ____________________ increase.
Resources
What are ecosystem services?
The benefits that humans receive from ecosystems.
Define ecology
The study of how organisms interact with their environment.
How can having too many predators in an area affect prey populations?
Lowers prey populations
What does primary succession mean?
The series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist.
What are the two types of value we attribute to ecosystems?
Economic and ecological
How many types of ecosystem services are there?
Four
Define biodiversity
The number and variety of different organisms in an ecosystem.
How are predation and parasitism similar?
Both involve one organism benefiting and one organism being harmed.
What do pioneer species do?
Colonize new areas
How can genetic diversity affect biodiversity?
(two relationships)
Low genetic diversity=low survivorship when changes occur. High genetic diversity = higher survivorship when changes occur.
How are regulatory and supporting services different?
Regulatory services regulate Earth's systems, where supporting services support all processes in nature.
What do invasive species do to native species?
They can outcompete them for resources.
How are commensalism and mutualism different?
Commensalism is when one species benefits and the other is unaffected, mutualism is when both species benefit.
How do we get mature ecosystem communities?
An ecosystem must persist for a very long time without major disturbance.
What are three ways humans affect biodiversity?
human activities cause most of the harm to habitats and ecosystems. This happens as a result of factors such as removing natural resources, climate change, and introducing invasive species.
How does human impact on ecosystems affect ecosystem services?
Reduces the services that we rely on
What is symbiosis, and what are the three types?
Symbiosis is any relationship in which two different species live closely together.
Commensalism, Mutualism, Parasitism
Many wild mammals suffer from tick bites. What kind of symbiotic relationship does this represent?
Parasitism
What does a disturbance/ disruption do to an ecosystem?
It changes the system by setting back the progression of succession.
Why is biodiversity so important?
Increased biodiversity=increased production which means increased economic value.
We use biodiversity to determine ecosystem health
Increased biodiversity= increased services
increased resilience.
What is ecological restoration? Why is it important?
The practice of helping a degraded or destroyed ecosystem recover from damage. It is important because we need to learn how to fix the damage we've done to planet Earth.
What is the different between conservation and sustainable use?
Conservation is using a small amount of a resource so we can save the rest for later, sustainability is using a small amount of a resource so nature can replenish the supply.