Ecology Review

Front

What is commensalism?

Back

A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the other is unaffected.

Front

What happens to populations of ants and grasshoppers when the Texas horned lizard population decreases?

Back

Their populations are likely to increase due to reduced competition and predation.

Front

What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

An organism that is at the top of the food chain, feeding on secondary consumers.

Front

What do the arrows in a food chain or web represent?

Back

They show the direction of energy flow between organisms.

Front

Why might an organism have more than one arrow coming from it in a food web?

Back

More than one organism may eat it.

Front

What is the definition of a producer in an ecosystem?

Back

An organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Front

What is mutualism?

Back

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Front

What is parasitism?

Back

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

They break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.