Lecture #4

Question 1

Trophic levels

Answer 1

food chain, a simplified ecosystem food pyramid composed of primary producers, herbivores, and predators

Question 2

Top-down

Answer 2

predator affects local communities, exerting top-down dominance on prey and weaker organisms

Question 3

Bottom-up

Answer 3

nutrient enhanced producers (plants), impacting upper trophic levels

Question 4

Keystone Predator

Answer 4

predators consume most competitive prey; vital for maintaining order within an ecosystem

Question 5

Competition Exclusion

Answer 5

two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist

Question 6

Green World Hypothesis

Answer 6

predators reduce the abundance of herbivores, allowing plants to thrive

Question 7

What does a keystone predator do?

Answer 7

prevents competitive exclusion by consuming the most competitively superior animal, allowing less competitive species to co-exist (ex: Pisaster sea star consumes mussels)

Question 8

N

Answer 8

population size

Question 9

K

Answer 9

carrying capacity