APES Fall Exam Review 2024/25

Front

What type of symbiotic relationship is characterized by both species benefiting from the interaction?

Back

Mutualism: A type of symbiosis where both organisms benefit from the relationship, such as bees pollinating flowers.

Front

What gases are primarily released from burning trees?

Back

Carbon dioxide and methane: These gases are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions when trees are burned.

Front

What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

Back

Nitrogen: Comprising about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere, nitrogen is essential for life but not directly usable by most organisms.

Front

What does logistic growth look like on a graph?

Back

An S-shaped curve: This graph represents population growth that stabilizes as resources become limited.

Front

How does water depth affect the organisms that can live in a marine environment?

Back

Deeper waters have less sunlight, limiting photosynthetic organisms: This affects the entire food web in marine ecosystems.

Front

Define commensalism in ecological terms.

Back

Commensalism: A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed, such as barnacles on whales.

Front

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil, which supports plant growth.

Front

Explain the concept of carrying capacity.

Back

Carrying capacity: The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support, influenced by resources and environmental conditions.

Front

What is the greenhouse effect?

Back

The greenhouse effect: A natural process where certain gases trap heat in the atmosphere, maintaining Earth's temperature but can lead to climate change when intensified.

Front

Describe the difference between primary and secondary succession.

Back

Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas, while secondary succession happens in areas where a disturbance has cleared a community but soil remains.