Population Ecology Review

Front

What is an energy pyramid?

Back

An energy pyramid is a graphical representation of the energy flow in an ecosystem, showing the energy available at each trophic level. Typically, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one level to the next, with the rest lost as heat or used by organisms.

Front

What percentage of energy is typically lost at each trophic level in an energy pyramid?

Back

90% of energy is typically lost at each trophic level in an energy pyramid.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) to obtain energy. Examples include herbivores like rabbits and deer.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers. Examples include carnivores like snakes and some birds.

Front

What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

A tertiary consumer is an organism that eats secondary consumers. They are often top predators in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a producer?

Back

A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants and algae.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow through the system.

Front

What is a trophic cascade?

Back

A trophic cascade is an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, which can lead to dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling.

Front

What is a density-independent limiting factor?

Back

A density-independent limiting factor is a factor that affects population size regardless of the population's density, such as natural disasters or pollution.

Front

What is a density-dependent limiting factor?

Back

A density-dependent limiting factor is a factor that affects population size based on the population's density, such as competition for resources, predation, and disease.