unit four lesson 2 Flashcards
habitat
combined biotic and abiotic factors found in the area where an organism lives
Q5: What activities can help understand primary and secondary succession?
A5: Suggested activities include using GPS to survey plant life and creating models to compare the stages of primary and secondary succession, emphasizing the time each stage requires.
Q4: How does species richness change over time during succession?
A4: Species richness increases rapidly in the early stages, then slows as the ecosystem matures. Succession can be restarted by small disturbances, so ecosystems are continually evolving.
Q3: Where does secondary succession take place, and how is it different from primary succession?
A3: Secondary succession happens in areas where soil is already present, such as after fires or floods. Because soil remains, it supports faster regrowth and quickly reaches a climax community. It involves the return of surviving plants and animals, which increases biodiversity.
Q2: When does primary succession occur, and what is its process?
A2: Primary succession occurs in areas without soil, such as bare rock from volcanic eruptions or glacial retreats. Pioneer species like mosses and lichens break down rock into soil, allowing grasses, shrubs, and trees to grow, leading to a climax community over hundreds of years.
Q1: What is ecological succession, and what are its two main types?
A1: Ecological succession is the process of ecosystem change after a disturbance or in an uninhabited area. The two types are primary succession and secondary succession.
Q7: What types of disturbances impact ecosystems, and how does biodiversity affect resilience?
A7: Natural disturbances (e.g., tornadoes) and human-caused disturbances (e.g., deforestation) affect ecosystems. Biodiverse ecosystems are more resilient and can recover more easily after disturbances. Resistance is an ecosystem’s ability to resist change, and resilience is its ability to recover.
Q6: What is a keystone species, and why is it important?
A6: A keystone species has a large impact on its ecosystem, like beavers. Protecting keystone species helps maintain ecosystem stability.
Parasitism:
One benefits at the expense of the other (e.g., insects causing galls on trees)
Q5: How does biodiversity contribute to ecosystem stability?
A5: Biodiverse ecosystems are more resilient to disturbances. Biodiversity is measured by species richness (number of species) and evenness (distribution among species).
Commensalism:
One benefits, while the other is unaffected (e.g., egret eating insects stirred by a cow).
Mutualism:
Both species benefit (e.g., shrimp cleaning a fish).
Q4: What are the three types of symbiosis?
A4:
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Q3: How do species interact through predation and competition?
A3: In predation, one species hunts another. In competition, species vie for limited resources, which can happen both between different species and within the same species.
Q2: What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?
A2: A habitat is the physical place where a species lives, while a niche refers to the role it plays in the ecosystem, including its behaviors, food sources, and tolerable conditions.
