Ecology Review

Front

What is the biosphere?

Back

The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems, essentially the zone of life on Earth, including land, water, and the atmosphere.

Front

What role does a shrew play in an ecosystem?

Back

A shrew is a consumer that provides energy for higher trophic levels, such as snakes.

Front

What does the term 'predator/prey' mean?

Back

'Predator/prey' describes the relationship where one organism (the predator) hunts and eats another organism (the prey), such as a frog eating a fly.

Front

What is a decomposer?

Back

A decomposer is an organism that breaks down dead organisms, non-living material, or waste, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely without being degraded.

Front

Define mutualism.

Back

Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit, such as bees pollinating flowers while feeding on nectar.

Front

What is competition in ecology?

Back

Competition occurs when two or more organisms vie for the same resources, such as food, space, or mates.

Front

What is an autotroph?

Back

An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances, typically through photosynthesis, like plants.

Front

What is a consumer?

Back

A consumer is an organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms, including herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.

Front

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Back

Biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem (like plants and animals), while abiotic factors are non-living components (like water, soil, and climate).