question

habitat

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the place where an organism lives out its life; combined biotic and abiotic factors found in the area where an organism lives

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ecological niche

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*the role a species plays in a community *it's total way of life *all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce in an ecosystem; includes food, abiotic conditions, and behavior *is determined by the tolerance limitations of an organism, or a limiting factor

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competitve exclusion

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theory that states that no two species can occupy the same niche at the same time

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Competitive exclusion can result in?

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*one species could be pushed into another niche *one species could become extinct *niche partitioning (divide the niche) *evolutionary response (developing adaptations)

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ecological equivalents

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species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions (they never compete for the same resources)

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competition

answer

ecological relationship in which two organisms attempt to obtain the same resource

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What are the to different types of copetition?

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*interspecific competition: occurs when two different species compete for a limited resource, such as space *intraspecfic competition: individuals of a particular species struggle against one another for limited resources

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predation

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process by which one organism hunts and kills another organism for food

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Can herbivores be considered predators?

answer

Yes; the deer that eats grass in fields and leaves from trees is preying on the plants

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symbiosis

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ecological relationship between members of at least two different species that live in direct contact with one another

question

What are the three different types of symbiosis?

answer

mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism

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Mutualism

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*ecological relationship between two species in which each species gets a benefit from the interaction *Ex: cleaning birds and cleaner shrimp, lichen, Egyptian plover

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commensalism

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*ecological relationship in which one species receives a benefit but the other species is not affected one way or another *Ex: orchids on a tree; polar bears and cyanobacteria

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parasitism

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*ecological relationship in which one organism benefits by harming another organism *parasite host relationship *Ex: lampreys, leeches, fleas, ticks, tapeworm

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population density

answer

measure of individuals living in a defined area # of individuals/area (units squared)

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The chief difference between primary and secondary succession is that: A) primary succession occurs among the plants in a habitat, while secondary succession occurs among the animals. B) primary succession begins with no life or soil, while secondary succession begins with both. C) secondary succession alters the biotic environment, and primary succession alters the abiotic environment. D) primary succession occurs more quickly than secondary succession. E) primary succession can occur in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, while secondary succession can occur only in terrestrial habitats

answer

B) primary succession begins with no life or soil, while secondary succession begins with both.

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population dispersion

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the way in which individuals of a population are spread in an area or volume (clumped dispersion; uniform dispersion; random dispersion)

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survivorship curve

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graph showing the surviving members of each age group of a population over time

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What 4 factors affect the size of a population?

answer

immigration; births; emigration;deaths

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immigration

answer

movement of individuals into a population from another population

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emigration

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the movement of individuals out of a population and into another population

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When a population is declining, what two factors are likely outpacing what other two factors?

answer

emigration and death

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Population growth is a function of the?

answer

environment; the rate of growth for a population is directly determined by the amount of resources available

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exponential growth

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dramatic increase in population over a short period of time

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logistic growth

answer

population growth that is characterized by a period of slow growth, followed by a period of exponential growth, followed by another period of almost no growth

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carrying capacity

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number of individuals that the resources of an environment can normally and persistently support; Can change when the environment changes

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population crash

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dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time

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limiting factor

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the factor that has the greatest effect in keeping down the size of a population; environmental factor that limits the growth and size of a population Ex: amount of water, amount of food, temperature, amount of space, availability of mates

question

density dependent limiting factors

answer

limiting factors that are affected by the number of individuals in a given area; includes many different types of species interactions (competition, predation, parasitism and disease)

question

What are the two categories of limiting factors?

answer

density dependent and density independent

question

density independent limiting factors

answer

aspects of the environment that limits a populations growth regardless of the density of the population (unusual weather, natural disasters, human activities)

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succession

answer

sequence of biotic changes that regenerate a damaged community or start a community in a reviously uninhabited area

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primary succession

answer

the establishment and development of an ecosystem in an area that was previously uninhabited

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pioneer species

answer

the first organisms that live in a previously uninhabited area

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secondary succession

answer

the reestablishment of a damaged ecosystem in an area where the soil was left intact (from a disturbance such as a fire or hurricane); there is no end to secondary succession

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Ecology is best defined as the study of: A) the relationships between all living organisms and their environments. B) the relationships between parasites and their hosts. C) aquatic organisms. D) interactions between predator and prey populations. E) the preservation of habitats.

answer

A) the relationships between all living organisms and their environments

question

ecology

answer

the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer; is a science of relationships

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What is the hierachy of ecology? (from the bottom to the top)

answer

organism-population-community-ecosystem-biosphere Lowest level = organism Highest Level = biosphere

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What is an example of a population?

answer

large mouth bass living in Lake Meade; Beetles living under the same log

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What does interdependent mean?

answer

They depend on each other for survival

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What is an example of a community

answer

bear and the salmon. They both live in a common environment and the bear needs the fish for food

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What are the three main types of feeding relationships?

answer

producer-consumer predator-prey parasite-host

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What is considered the bottom of the food chain?

answer

producers; they are all autotrophs

question

What are considered consumers?

answer

consumers are all hetertrophs; they ingest food containing the sun's energy herbivores; carnivores; omnivores; decomposers Energy moves up the food chain through the producer/consumer relationship.

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Who is the first step up the food chain? They eat the producers?

answer

herbivores

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Primary consumers versus secondary, tertiary consumers?

answer

Primary consumers: eat plants, herbivores Secondary consumers: prey animals, carnivores

question

carnivores

answer

* a consumer that eats meat *predators that hunt prey animals for food

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scavengers

answer

*a consumer that eats meat *feeds on carrion, dead animals *Ex: Vultures, hyenas, crabs, deep sea fish

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Omnivores

answer

*a consumer that eats both plants and animals *Ex: Humans and bears, decomposers

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decomposers

answer

*a consumer that is considered an omnivore *they break down the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be absorbed *They breakdown dead producers and release the energy back into circulation.

question

As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass will? A. increase B. decrease

answer

B; energy is transferred upwards but is diminished with each transfer

question

What is the heirachy of tropic levels from top to bottom?

answer

producers (autotrophs) - primary consumers (herbivores) - secondary consumers (small carnivores) - tertiary consumers (top carnivores)

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What converts nitrogen into usable forms?

answer

lightening and bacteria

question

nitrogen fixation

answer

converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium which can be used to make organic compounds like amino acids

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nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria

answer

essential to maintaining the fertility of semi-aquatic environments like rice paddies

question

biological magnification

answer

*while energy decreases as it moves up the food chain, toxins increase in potency *Ex: DDT and bald eagles

question

Keystone species: A) occur only in intertidal zones. B) play an unusually important role in determining the species composition in a habitat. C) can be removed from a habitat without any impact on the remaining species in the community. D) are primary producers and therefore usually are plants. E) are more expendable than commensal species, from a conservation perspective.

answer

B) play an unusually important role in determining the species composition in a habitat.

question

The "ghost of competition past" refers to the fact that: A) competition often leads to character displacement, which remains even after direct competition is reduced. B) competition cannot be seen in nature. C) competition inevitably leads to the extinction of one of the competitors. D) competition inevitably leads to the extinction of both competitors. E) the fossil record is a record of competitive interactions.

answer

A) competition often leads to character displacement, which remains even after direct competition is reduced.

question

Which of the following statements about an organism's niche is incorrect? A) It encompasses the space the organism requires. B) It includes the type and amount of food the organism consumes. C) It is not always fully exploited. D) It may be occupied by two species, as long as they are not competitors. E) It reflects the ways in which the organism utilizes the resources of its environment.

answer

A) It encompasses the space the organism requires.

question

Nitrogen enters the food chain: A) primarily through soil-dwelling bacteria that "fix" nitrogen by attaching it to other atoms. B) from the atmosphere when "fixed" by the photosynthetic machinery of plants. C) when rocks dissolved by rainwater become soil and are utilized by plants as they grown. D) through soil erosion followed by runoff into streams and ponds. E) through methane, produced by herbivores as a by-product of the breakdown of plant material

answer

A) primarily through soil-dwelling bacteria that "fix" nitrogen by attaching it to other atoms.

question

The 10% rule of energy-conversion efficiency: A) explains why big, fierce animals are so rare. B) explains why the biomass of herbivores must exceed that of carnivores. C) limits the length of food chains. D) suggests that 90% of what an organisms eats is used in cellular respiration or is lost as feces. E) All of the above are correct

answer

) All of the above are correct

question

Top" carnivores: A) are more common than secondary consumers. B) rely directly on primary producers for energy. C) consume primarily herbivores. D) consume primarily carnivores. E) rely on symbiotic bacteria living in their digestive systems to help digest cellulose.

answer

D) consume primarily carnivores.

question

Earths largest terrestrial ecosystems, the biomes, are defined primarily by: A) the average rainfall. B) the average temperature. C) the seasonal variability in temperature. D) the seasonal variability in rainfall. E) All of the above.

answer

E) All of the above.

question

An ecosystem consists of ______ in a given area. A) all the photosynthetic organisms B) all the living organisms C) all the abiotic factors that influence living organisms D) all the living organisms and non-living materials E) the plant life and climate

answer

D) all the living organisms and non-living materials

question

A population pyramid: A) represents the number of individuals in various age groups in a population. B) can be constructed from the data in a life table. C) directly predicts future age distributions of the population. D) shows the current birth and death rates of a population. E) predicts survival and mortality rates for an individual at a given age

answer

A) represents the number of individuals in various age groups in a population.

question

The number of individuals that can be supported in a given habitat is the: A) innate capacity for increase. B) biotic potential. C) density-dependent effect. D) density-independent effect. E) None of the above are correct.

answer

E) None of the above are correct.

question

In a population, as N approaches K, the logistic growth equation predicts that: A) the carrying capacity of the environment will increase. B) the growth rate will approach zero. C) the population will become monophyletic. D) the population size will increase exponentially. E) the growth rate will not change.

answer

B) the growth rate will approach zero

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