Ecology Unit Review

Front

What are decomposers?

Back

Organisms that break down dead remains of plants and animals, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

The population starts to die off due to limited resources.

Front

What is mutualism?

Back

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit, such as red-billed oxpeckers feeding on parasites found on impala.

Front

What are carnivores?

Back

Consumers that only eat meat.

Front

What is the greenhouse effect?

Back

The process by which the Earth traps heat from the sun, acting like a greenhouse.

Front

What are producers?

Back

Organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis, such as plants.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Front

What is commensalism?

Back

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Front

What are herbivores?

Back

Consumers that primarily eat plants.

Front

What is competition in ecology?

Back

The struggle between organisms for the same resources in an ecosystem.