ecology 1

Question 1

Species

Answer 1

genetically similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

group of species living in the same place at the same time

Question 3

Community

Answer 3

population of different species living and interacting in the same area

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

a community of interacting organisms and their physical environment (biotic & abiotic)

Question 5

Biotic

Answer 5

living things within an ecosystem like plants, animals, and bacteria

Question 6

Abiotic

Answer 6

non-living things within an ecosystem like water, soil, and temperature

Question 7

Autotrophs

Answer 7

organisms that obtain their own energy (plants)

Question 8

Heterotrophs

Answer 8

organisms that obtain energy from other organisms

Question 9

Consumers

Answer 9

gain energy by feeding or on other organisms or absorption

Question 10

Detritivores

Answer 10

obtain energy from detritus (waste) by internal digestion, ex: worms

Question 11

Saprotrophs

Answer 11

obtain energy by external digestion aka breaks down debris using secreting enzymes to absorb, ex: fungi

Question 12

Herbivores

Answer 12

animal consumes plant, caterpillar feeding on leaf

Question 13

Predation

Answer 13

predator hunts prey, lions are the predators of zebras

Question 14

Parasitism

Answer 14

parasite lives in or on a host for food, tapeworms on human intestines

Question 15

Mutualism

Answer 15

both species benefit, ex: bee gets nectar for honey and flower gets pollen for pollination

Question 16

Commensalism

Answer 16

one species benefits and other in unaffected, barnacles attach to whales

Question 17

Sustainable ecosystem

Answer 17

A sustainable ecosystem must contain producers, consumers, decomposers, dead/inorganic matter, and an external energy source

Question 18

Ecological niche

Answer 18

the role an organism plays in an ecosystem

Question 19

Fundamental niche

Answer 19

set of conditions an organisms can survive in

Question 20

Realized niche

Answer 20

set of conditions in organism’s actual mode of existence

Question 21

Keystone species

Answer 21

organism that holds an ecosystem together without necessarily being abundant, ex: purple sea star

Question 22

Limiting factor

Answer 22

something that stops an ecosystem from growing

Question 23

Top-down control

Answer 23

higher trophic levels affect lower trophic levels through predation

Question 24

Bottom-up effect

Answer 24

lower trophic levels affect higher trophic levels by productivity