Day 6: Ecology SOL Review

Front

What are pioneer species?

Back

Pioneer species are the first organisms to colonize a barren environment during primary succession, such as lichens and algae.

Front

What is the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?

Back

The carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading the habitat.

Front

What happens when a population exceeds its carrying capacity?

Back

When a population grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity, it will start to die off to return to the carrying capacity.

Front

What is primary succession?

Back

Primary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists, starting with pioneer species.

Front

What is secondary succession?

Back

Secondary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where a disturbance has destroyed an existing ecosystem but soil remains.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for plants.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow.

Front

What is the significance of trophic levels?

Back

Trophic levels represent the different stages in a food chain, indicating the flow of energy from producers to various levels of consumers.

Front

What are autotrophs?

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and some bacteria.