All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is a consumer (heterotroph) in a food relationship?
Answer: An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms. Cannot produce their own food and must consume others.
Flashcard 2: What is a producer (autotroph) in a food relationship?
Answer: An organism that makes its own food, usually by photosynthesis. Forms the base of food chains by converting sunlight to energy.
Flashcard 3: What is decomposition as an ecosystem interaction?
Answer: Decomposers break down dead matter and recycle nutrients. Essential for nutrient cycling in ecosystems.
Flashcard 4: What is an omnivore?
Answer: A consumer that eats both producers and consumers. Has a varied diet including both plant and animal matter.
Flashcard 5: Which interaction is shown when a hawk catches and eats a mouse?
Answer: Predation. Hawk benefits by eating mouse; mouse is killed.
Flashcard 6: Which interaction is shown when barnacles live on a whale and the whale is unaffected?
Answer: Commensalism. Barnacles get transportation; whale isn't helped or harmed.
Flashcard 7: Which interaction is shown when a tick feeds on a dog’s blood?
Answer: Parasitism. Tick benefits from blood meal while dog is harmed.
Flashcard 8: Which interaction is shown when vultures eat leftovers from a dead animal?
Answer: Scavenging. Vultures feed on carrion they didn't kill themselves.
Flashcard 9: What is symbiosis in ecology?
Answer: A close, long-term relationship between different species. Includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
Flashcard 10: Which interaction is shown when two lions fight over the same prey?
Answer: Competition. Both lions are harmed by fighting for limited food.
Flashcard 11: What is a carnivore?
Answer: A consumer that eats other consumers (animals). Secondary or tertiary consumers that hunt other animals.
Flashcard 12: What is an herbivore?
Answer: A consumer that eats producers (plants or algae). Primary consumers that feed exclusively on plant matter.
Flashcard 13: What is commensalism in an ecosystem interaction?
Answer: One benefits, the other is unaffected (+/0). One organism gains while the other neither benefits nor suffers.
Flashcard 14: What is scavenging as an organism interaction?
Answer: An organism feeds on dead organisms or remains. Scavengers consume already-dead organisms they didn't kill.
Flashcard 15: What is competition between organisms in an ecosystem?
Answer: Both are harmed by competing for a limited resource (−/−). Organisms struggle for the same scarce resources like food or space.
Flashcard 16: What is predation in an ecosystem interaction?
Answer: One organism kills and eats another (+/−). A predator hunts, captures, and consumes prey for energy.
Flashcard 17: What is mutualism in an ecosystem interaction?
Answer: Both species benefit (+/+). A win-win relationship where both organisms gain advantages.
Flashcard 18: What is the ecological interaction called mutualism?
Answer: Mutualism: both organisms benefit (+/+). Both species gain from the relationship.
Flashcard 19: What is herbivory as an interaction among organisms?
Answer: Herbivory: an animal eats a plant or algae (+/−). Plant-eating is a type of predation.
Flashcard 20: Which interaction is shown when both species gain resources or protection?
Answer: Mutualism. Both organisms receive benefits.
Flashcard 21: Which interaction is shown when one species benefits and the other is not affected?
Answer: Commensalism. One gains, other remains neutral.
Flashcard 22: Which interaction is shown when one organism benefits by harming a living host?
Answer: Parasitism. Long-term feeding relationship that weakens host.
Flashcard 23: What is predation in an ecosystem interaction?
Answer: Predation: one organism kills and eats another (+/−). Predator consumes prey for energy.
Flashcard 24: What is the ecological interaction called parasitism?
Answer: Parasitism: parasite benefits, host is harmed (+/−). Parasite takes nutrients without killing quickly.
Flashcard 25: What is the ecological interaction called commensalism?
Answer: Commensalism: one benefits, the other is unaffected (+/0). Like barnacles on whales - no harm done.
Flashcard 26: What is competition between organisms in an ecosystem?
Answer: Competition: both are harmed by sharing limited resources (−/−). Fighting for same resources hurts both.
Flashcard 27: Which interaction is shown when a hawk captures, kills, and eats a mouse?
Answer: Predation. Hunter kills prey immediately for food.
Flashcard 28: Which interaction is shown when two species require the same limited food source?
Answer: Competition. Both lose energy fighting for scarce resources.
Flashcard 29: Which interaction is shown when a deer eats leaves from a living shrub?
Answer: Herbivory. Consumer eats parts of living plants.
Flashcard 30: What is the difference between predation and parasitism in the outcome for the prey/host?
Answer: Predation kills prey; parasitism usually does not kill the host quickly. Predators need prey dead; parasites need hosts alive.