Population Ecology Review

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What is population ecology?

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Population ecology is the study of how populations of organisms interact with their environment and how factors such as resource availability, competition, and predation affect population dynamics.

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What is ecological succession?

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Ecological succession is the process by which ecosystems change and develop over time, often following a disturbance, leading to a new community structure.

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What is a primary producer?

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Primary producers are organisms, such as plants and algae, that produce energy through photosynthesis and form the base of the food chain.

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What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

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Consumers are organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms; they can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy and nutrients from one level to the next.

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What is the 10% rule in ecology?

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The 10% rule states that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level, while the rest is lost as heat.

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What is a limiting factor?

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A limiting factor is a resource or condition that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population in an ecosystem.

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What is carrying capacity?

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Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

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What is the difference between density-dependent and density-independent factors?

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Density-dependent factors are influenced by population density (e.g., competition, predation), while density-independent factors affect populations regardless of density (e.g., natural disasters).

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What is the significance of keystone species?

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Keystone species are species that have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance, helping to maintain the structure of the community.