7 - Basic Marine Ecology Flashcards
What percentage of energy is transferred between trophic levels in a food chain?
About 10%.
What is a food chain?
A sequence of organisms where energy is transferred by eating and being eaten, starting with producers and ending with top predators.
Sandy beaches, estuaries, and rocky shores.
Sandy beaches, estuaries, and rocky shores.
What are the two main components of an ecosystem?
Abiotic (non-living) components such as temperature and light, and biotic (living) components like producers, consumers, and decomposers.
What is ecology?
The study of interactions between living organisms (biotic) and their non-living (abiotic) environment.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain shows a linear flow of energy, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.
What are the three levels of consumers in a food chain?
Primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and tertiary consumers (top predators).
What is mutualism?
A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit, such as the relationship between clownfish and sea anemones.
What is the nutrient cycle?
The process of recycling nutrients between the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, driven by decomposers.
Give an example of intra-specific competition.
Two hermit crabs competing for the same shell.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
Food Chain: A linear sequence where energy is transferred from one organism to another, starting with a producer (e.g., seaweed) and moving through consumers (e.g., fish) to top predators (e.g., sharks).
Food Web: A complex network of interconnected food chains where organisms have multiple feeding relationships, providing more stability to the ecosystem.
What is Inter-specific Competition
Inter-specific Competition:
Definition: Competition that occurs between individuals of different species for similar resources.
Marine Example: Limpets and sea stars competing for space on a rocky shore. Both organisms utilize the same habitat, and the limpets may be pushed out or overgrown by the starfish, affecting their survival and feeding opportunities.
What is Intra-specific Competition
Intra-specific Competition:
Definition: Competition that occurs among individuals of the same species for limited resources such as food, space, or mates.
Marine Example: Two tiger sharks competing for the same prey in a shared territory. As they hunt for similar food sources, their competition may impact their growth and reproductive success.
