All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Identify the most likely outcome if an invasive predator is introduced to an island ecosystem.
Answer: Native prey populations decline; food web becomes less stable. Invasive species lack natural controls and disrupt balance.
Flashcard 2: What is the ecological role of a scavenger?
Answer: Consumes dead animals without breaking them down chemically. Different from decomposers - they don't chemically break down tissue.
Flashcard 3: What type of interaction is mutualism?
Answer: Both species benefit. A win-win relationship where both organisms gain advantages.
Flashcard 4: Which outcome is most likely if a limiting resource becomes more scarce?
Answer: Competition increases and population growth decreases. Scarcity intensifies struggle for resources, limiting growth.
Flashcard 5: Which outcome is most likely if a predator population increases in a stable system?
Answer: Prey population decreases. More predators consume more prey, reducing prey numbers.
Flashcard 6: Identify the interaction if two bird species use the same nesting sites and food source.
Answer: Competition. Sharing limited resources creates competitive pressure.
Flashcard 7: Which outcome is most likely if sunlight increases and water is sufficient for plants?
Answer: Producer growth increases; higher-level consumer populations may increase. More light energy drives photosynthesis and ecosystem productivity.
Flashcard 8: Which outcome is most likely if a drought reduces available water for plants?
Answer: Producer population decreases; consumers decline due to less food. Water stress limits photosynthesis, cascading up the food chain.
Flashcard 9: Which outcome is most likely if decomposers are greatly reduced in an ecosystem?
Answer: Nutrient recycling slows; soil fertility and producer growth decrease. Dead matter accumulates without decomposers to process it.
Flashcard 10: Which outcome is most likely if a disease reduces a top predator population?
Answer: Prey increase; producers may decline due to higher grazing pressure. Fewer predators allow prey to multiply and overgraze plants.
Flashcard 11: What is the ecological role of a decomposer?
Answer: Breaks down dead matter and recycles nutrients to the ecosystem. Essential for nutrient cycling and soil enrichment.
Flashcard 12: What type of interaction is parasitism?
Answer: Parasite benefits; host is harmed. The parasite depends on but weakens its host organism.
Flashcard 13: What type of interaction is predation?
Answer: Predator kills and eats prey. One organism hunts and consumes another for energy.
Flashcard 14: What type of interaction is competition?
Answer: Organisms compete for the same limited resource. Both organisms need the same resource that's in short supply.
Flashcard 15: Which outcome is most likely if a prey population sharply decreases?
Answer: Predator population decreases after a time lag. Less food causes predator starvation and population decline.
Flashcard 16: What is the ecological role of a secondary consumer?
Answer: Carnivore or omnivore that eats primary consumers. Second-level consumers occupy the third trophic level.
Flashcard 17: What is the ecological role of a primary consumer?
Answer: Herbivore that eats producers. First-level consumers feed directly on plants or algae.
Flashcard 18: What is the ecological role of a producer in a food web?
Answer: Makes its own food; base energy source for other organisms. Producers convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
Flashcard 19: What type of interaction is commensalism?
Answer: One benefits; the other is unaffected. One organism gains while causing no harm or help to the other.
Flashcard 20: Which outcome is most likely if a keystone species is removed from its ecosystem?
Answer: Large community changes; some populations crash and biodiversity decreases. Keystone species have disproportionate ecosystem impact.
Flashcard 21: What is competition in ecology?
Answer: Organisms vie for the same limited resource. Competition is a (-/-) interaction that reduces fitness for both species.
Flashcard 22: What type of interaction is predation?
Answer: Predator kills and eats prey. Predation is a (+/-) interaction involving consumption of prey.
Flashcard 23: What is the role of a primary consumer in a food chain?
Answer: Herbivore that eats producers. Primary consumers occupy the second trophic level by eating plants.
Flashcard 24: What is the role of a producer in an ecosystem food web?
Answer: Makes its own food; base energy source for other organisms. Producers convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
Flashcard 25: Which outcome is most likely if decomposers are reduced in a forest ecosystem?
Answer: Nutrients recycle more slowly; plant growth decreases over time. Fewer decomposers means slower nutrient cycling to producers.
Flashcard 26: Which interaction is indicated when both populations increase because each provides a needed resource?
Answer: Mutualism. Mutual population growth indicates reciprocal benefits.
Flashcard 27: Which outcome is most likely when a limiting resource becomes abundant for a population?
Answer: Population increases until a different limiting factor slows growth. Populations grow until another resource becomes limiting.
Flashcard 28: Which outcome is most likely if a prey population crashes due to disease?
Answer: Predator population decreases after a time lag. Predators depend on prey for food; less prey means fewer predators.
Flashcard 29: Which outcome is most likely if an invasive plant outcompetes native plants for light?
Answer: Native plant populations decrease; dependent herbivores may decline. Invasive species often outcompete natives for limited resources.
Flashcard 30: What type of interaction is commensalism?
Answer: One benefits and the other is unaffected. Commensalism is a (+/0) interaction with no harm or benefit to one partner.