ecology

Question 1

what is ecology

Answer 1

the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
the study includes both biotic and abiotic factors

Question 2

biotic

Answer 2

living
(plants, animals, fungi….)

Question 3

abiotic

Answer 3

non-living
(climate, temperature, sun, water soil…. )

Question 4

what are the key ecological themes

Answer 4

Energy Flow: Moves through food chains (sun → producers → consumers → decomposers).

Nutrient Cycling: Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, water) sustain life.

Population Dynamics: Growth rates, carrying capacity, and limiting factors (e.g., resources, predators).

Question 5

Species Interactions:

Answer 5

Competition (-/-): limited sources of food, water, and territory. leads to natural selection

Predation (+/-): one benefits, derives adaptations

Mutualism (+/+): both benefits

Commensalism (+/0): one benefits while the other one is neutral

Question 6

keystone species

Answer 6

-important for structure and diversity

-they can affect their ecosystems by maintaining the diversity, structure and functioning of their ecosystem and without them, biodiversity can significantly decline and
ecosystems can undergo significant changes.

Question 7

trophic cascade

Answer 7

series of changes within
an ecosystem that occur when a predator is added or removed. The impact is usually indirect
but still affecting multiple levels of the food chain and can either be top-down (predator
regulating the population of prey) or bottom-up (when accessibility of primary producers affects rest
of the ecosystem)

adding or removing top predators causes an impact

Question 8

How do human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change impact
ecosystems?

Answer 8

clearing land for city houses, and road developments making it hard for animals to move around. pollution, air water soils oil spills harm organisms
rising temp

Question 9

Compare primary and secondary succession. What organisms play a role in these recovery processes?

Answer 9

primary succession - life starts from bare rock (volcano)
secondary succession - life regrows after a disturbances (wildfire)

mosses and lichens can re-establish the ecosystem

Question 9

why is biodiversity important

Answer 9

Biodiversity is important because it affects ecosystem stability – the more biodiversity an
ecosystem has, the more stable & resilient it is to changes. Also it affects ecological services –
biodiversity supports critical services such as pollination, water purification & nutrient cycling.