Ecosystems

Question 1

What is a Species?

Answer 1

A species consists of all individuals that can breed together under natural condition and to produce fertile offsprings.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

Population is a group of organisms of the same species which live in the same habitat at the same time, where they can freely interbreed.

Question 3

What is a Community?

Answer 3

Community is all the populations of different species living and interacting in the same ecosystems.

Question 4

What is an Ecosystem?

Answer 4

Ecosystem is the living community and the physical environment functioning together as an independent or relatively stable system.

Question 5

What is a Biosphere?

Answer 5

The biosphere is the portion of Earth where life exists; it consists of numerous complex ecosystems.

Question 6

What are the differences of a natural and artificial ecosystems?

Answer 6

A natural ecosystem is independent, stable, balanced and self-sustaining; an artificial ecosystem is dependent (relies on human input), unstable and unbalanced.

Question 7

What is Ecology?

Answer 7

Ecology is the study of interactions of living things with each other and their physical environment.

Question 8

What is an Abiotic Factor? Give 7 examples.

Answer 8

An abiotic factor is the physical and chemical factors that affect the ability of the organisms to survive and reproduce.

7 Abiotic factors are:

1. Range of Temperature
2. Intensity of Light
3. Amount of moisture
4. pH (acidity level)
5. Type of soil/rock
6. Availability of minerals
7. Supply of gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen)

Question 9

What is a Limiting Factor? Give 3 examples of a limiting factor scenario.

Answer 9

A limiting factor is an abiotic factor that determines what types of organisms live in that environment.

3 scenarios involving a limiting factor are:

1. A temperature common to cold regions determines what type of plants thrive there.
2. Amount of oxygen dissolved in a body of water determine what type of fish live there.
3. Dry environment of desert regions limits the amount of organisms that can live there.

Question 10

What is Carrying Capacity?

Answer 10

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of organisms that resources of an area can support. It is limited by the available abiotic and biotic resources, along with the ecosystem’s ability to recycle the leftovers of dead organisms through the decomposing by bacteria and fungi.

Question 11

What is a Biotic Factor?

Answer 11

Biotic factors are all the living things that directly or indirectly affect the environment.

Question 12

What are the nutritional relationships?

Answer 12

The nutritional relationships