2.1 Functioning ecosystems

Question 1

List the order of the five stages of a food web?

Answer 1

1. Tertiary consumers
2. Secondary consumers
3. Primary consumers
4. Herbioverse
5. Primary Producers

Question 2

State the competitive exclusion principle?

Answer 2

There cannot be two species competing for the same resource while stably co-existing with one another

Question 3

Explain what a keystone species is and the role they play in the ecosystem and provide an example within the Australian environment?

Answer 3

Species that influence their communities in a way that is not proportional to their abundance. Keystone species will be the predators within the environment. E.g Great White Shark

Question 4

Define carry capacity?

Answer 4

Refers to the total amount of organisms that a region can sustain without environmental degradation.

Question 5

Explain the concept of ecological succession? (refer to pioneer and climax community)

Answer 5

the process of change within an ecosystem

Question 6

Differentiate between the two main modes of succession: Primary and secondary

Question 7

What are the features of a pioneer species and provide an example?

Answer 7

Example Bacteria

• Ability to fixate nitrogen
• tolerance to extreme conditions
• rapid germination of seeds
• Ability to photosynthesis

Question 8

What are the trophic levels?

Answer 8

Plants and Algae. Plants and algae comprise the lowest level of the trophic system. ...
Primary Consumers. ...
Secondary Consumers. ...
Tertiary Consumers. ...
Apex Predators.