Unit 2 - Questions

Question 1

Distinguish between a habitat and a niche

Answer 1

a habitat is the location of a species, population or organism, whereas a niche is the role of a species in an ecosystem; habitat describes how the environment affects a species, whereas niche defines how a species affects the environment

Question 2

Distinguish between mutualism and paratism, using examples of each

Answer 2

mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit (example: bees are benefitted from flowers because they get honey and it’s also spreading pollen to create more flowers), whereas paratism is a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other (example: when ticks latch onto dogs and feed off of its blood).

Question 3

Describe the S-shaped population curve

Answer 3

an s-shaped population curve shows low initial population size followed by rapid growth, leading to slower growth until it reaches its carrying capacity.

Question 4

Explain the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in the ecosystem.

Answer 4

producers produce food/sugar/glucose, which supports the ecosystem; consumers eat other organisms; decomposers break down dead organisms in the ecosystem

Question 5

List 5 abiotic factors

Answer 5

Light
Temperature
Wind
pH
Soil texture

Question 6

Distinguish between fundamental and realised niche

Answer 6

the fundamental niche describes the full range of conditions and resources in which a species could theoretically survive and reproduce, whereas the realised niche describes the actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions