Ecological Interactions and Relationships

Ms. Kudzia introduces ecology, the study of interactions among organisms and their environments. She explains the roles of ecologists and the levels of ecological organization: organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere. The video covers ecosystem interactions, including abiotic and biotic factors, and explores symbiosis, detailing parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. It concludes with competition and feeding habits, highlighting intra- and inter-specific competition and predator-prey dynamics.

What is the primary focus of ecology?

• The study of interactions between organisms and their environment

• The study of chemical reactions

• The study of human anatomy

• The study of individual organisms

Which level of ecological organization includes all ecosystems on Earth?

• Biosphere

• Population

• Organism

• Community

What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

• Food chains

• Interactions between species

• Non-living factors like wind and sunlight

• Living organisms

Which type of symbiosis benefits both species involved?

• Parasitism

• Predation

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

In parasitism, what happens to the host organism?

• It is unharmed

• It benefits from the relationship

• It is harmed

• It becomes a predator

What is an example of commensalism?

• A lion hunting a zebra

• A parasite living inside a fish

• A barnacle hitching a ride on a whale

• A bee pollinating a flower

Which interaction involves one species benefiting while the other is unaffected?

• Parasitism

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Competition

What is intra-specific competition?

• Competition within the same species

• Competition between different species

• Competition for sunlight

• Competition for space

Which of the following is an example of inter-specific competition?

• A tree growing taller to reach sunlight

• A bird and a squirrel competing for seeds

• Two lions fighting over territory

• A fish swimming in a pond

What is the relationship called where one organism is the food source for another?

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Predation

• Parasitism