Ecology Review

Question 1

Compare “biotic” to “abiotic.”

Answer 1

“Biotic” refers to living components of an ecosystem and “abiotic” refers to NON-LIVING components of an ecosystem (like rocks, dirt, rain, etc).

Question 2

What is another word for a primary producer?

Answer 2

Autotroph

Question 3

What is another word for a consumer?

Answer 3

Heterotroph

Question 4

Name the six types of consumers (heterotroph).

Answer 4

1. Herbivore
2. Carnivore
3. Omnivore
4. Scavenger
5. Decomposer
6. Detritivore

Question 5

Define “herbivore” and give examples.

Answer 5

A consumer that only eats primary producers (autotrophs). Ex: Rabbits, cows, sheep, chickens.

Question 6

Define “carnivore” and give examples.

Answer 6

A consumer that only eats consumers that it preys upon and kills. Ex: Lions, tigers, owls.

Question 7

Define “omnivore” and give examples.

Answer 7

A consumer that eats both primary producers as well as other consumers. Ex: Humans, monkeys, dogs.

Question 8

Define “scavenger” and give examples.

Answer 8

A consumer that is similar to a carnivore except that it likes to eat things that have already been killed by someone else or have died a natural death. Ex: vultures, hyenas.

Question 9

Define “decomposer” and give examples.

Answer 9

A consumer that feeds off of microscopic dead matter, like dead skin cells. Ex: mites in bed, many types of bacteria, mushrooms. Their waste is called DETRITUS.

Question 10

Define “detritivore” and give examples.

Answer 10

A consumer that feeds off of DETRITUS, which is the byproduct (waste, poop) of decomposers. Ex: earth worms (think of a scary movie with brown worms coming out of dead corpses).

Question 11

What is a predator?

Answer 11

A hunter that stalks its food and kills it.

Question 12

What is prey?

Answer 12

The hunted that is stalked and killed by a predator.

Question 13

What is the organizational structure of the biosphere?

Answer 13

1. Species
2. Population
3. Community
4. Ecosystem
5. Biome
6. Biosphere

Question 14

More than one member of the same type of animal or plant is a ________.

Answer 14

Species

Question 15

More than one member of the same type of animal or plant in the SAME geographical location is a ________.

Answer 15

Population

Question 16

More than one member of different types of animals and plants in the SAME geographical location is a _________.

Answer 16

Community

Question 17

More than one member of different types of living things WITH the abiotic factors in a geographical location is a __________.

Answer 17

Ecosystem

Question 18

Ecosystems with similar climates make up a _______.

Answer 18

Biome

Question 19

The living earth is called the _______.

Answer 19

Biosphere

Question 20

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

Answer 20

Food chains are INSIDE of food webs. In the ecosystem, there are MANY overlapping food chains (for example, in the aquaponics we should have had the food chain “PLANTS –> FISH –> BACTERIA” but instead we also had “FISH –> FISH –> BACTERIA” because the fish ate each other).

Question 21

What is a symbiotic relationship?

Answer 21

An ecological relationship where living things affect (help or harm) one another).

Question 22

What are the three types of symbiotic relationships we studied?

Answer 22

1. Commensialism
2. Parasitism
3. Mutualism

Question 23

Define “mutualism” and give examples.

Answer 23

A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from one another. Ex: Leeches are used medically to eat dead skin off of burn victims in hospitals.

Question 24

Define “commensialism” and give examples.

Answer 24

A symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits from the other and the other species is neither helped nor harmed. Ex: An ant that rides on your Tarbia skirt without you knowing it in order to be transported into the shade.

Question 25

Define “parasitism” and give examples.

Answer 25

A symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other species is harmed. Ex: Tapeworms are parasites that can live inside cat intestines, eating the cat’s food, until the cat finally dies of starvation.

Question 26

In a symbiotic relationship, what is the name of the species that is ALWAYS helping, but can either be helped, harmed, or not affected at all (depending on whether or not the type of symbiosis is mutualism, parasitism, or commensialism)?

Answer 26

Host