Ecology review

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the organism's role in the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow between them.

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What does the term 'biomass' refer to in ecology?

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Biomass refers to the total mass of living matter within a given area or volume, often measured at a specific trophic level.

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What is a trophic cascade?

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A trophic cascade is an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, which leads to changes in the population sizes of species at lower trophic levels.

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Why do predators play a crucial role in an ecosystem?

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Predators help maintain the balance of ecosystems by controlling the population sizes of prey species, which in turn affects vegetation and other organisms.

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What is the significance of the arrows in a food chain or web?

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The arrows indicate the direction of energy flow from one organism to another, showing who eats whom.

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How does the reintroduction of a top predator, like wolves, affect an ecosystem?

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The reintroduction of a top predator can lead to a decrease in herbivore populations, allowing vegetation to recover and benefiting other species in the ecosystem.

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What is the primary reason fish swim in schools?

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Fish swim in schools primarily for protection against predators.

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What are primary producers?

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Primary producers are organisms, such as plants and algae, that produce their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of the food chain.

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What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available for primary producers.