Ecology Exam

Front

What is a population that quickly increases but then stabilizes due to limiting factors?

Back

A population of rabbits quickly increases but then becomes stable due to limiting factors in the environment.

Front

What are the levels of energy within ecosystems called?

Back

Trophic levels.

Front

Why do non-native plants threaten native plants in a new habitat?

Back

Non-native plants compete with native plants for resources.

Front

What is an example of a density dependent factor?

Back

Food availability in an area.

Front

What happens to a population that grows past the ecosystem's carrying capacity?

Back

The population starts to die off to return to carrying capacity.

Front

What is an invasive species?

Back

A non-native species that threatens native species by competing for resources.

Front

Define carrying capacity.

Back

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Front

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

Back

Density dependent factors are influenced by population size (e.g., food availability), while density independent factors affect populations regardless of size (e.g., natural disasters).

Front

What role do predators play in an ecosystem?

Back

Predators help control the population of prey species, maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

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