Unit 2 Flashcards
EXAMS (14 cards)
What is an ecosystem?
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Ecosystems can vary in size and complexity, from a small pond to a large forest.
What process do plants use to convert sunlight into energy?
Photosynthesis
This process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen using sunlight.
What is primary succession?
The process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists
Examples include the colonization of bare rock after a volcanic eruption.
What is secondary succession?
The process of ecological change that occurs in an area where soil is present but has been disturbed
Examples include recovery after a forest fire.
What are the three types of symbiosis?
Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
These interactions describe how different species live together and benefit (or harm) each other.
What is mutualism?
A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit
An example includes bees pollinating flowers while feeding on nectar.
What is commensalism?
A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed
An example includes barnacles attaching to a whale.
What is parasitism?
A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other
An example includes ticks feeding on the blood of mammals.
What is a food chain?
A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another
Food chains illustrate the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
What is a food web?
A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem
Food webs show how various food chains are interconnected.
What is intraspecific competition?
Competition among individuals of the same species
This often occurs for resources such as food, space, or mates.
What is interspecific competition?
Competition between individuals of different species
This can occur when species compete for similar resources in an ecosystem.
What does the 10% Rule refer to?
The principle that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed to the next level
This rule explains why there are fewer top predators in an ecosystem.
What is the water cycle?
The continuous process by which water moves through the environment via evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff
It is a vital process for maintaining ecosystems and supporting life.
