Community Ecology

Front

What do food webs represent in an ecosystem?

Back

Food webs are models that show complex networks of feeding relationships.

Front

What is the term for the effect predators have on the size and distribution of prey populations?

Back

Predation.

Front

What is the habitat of an organism?

Back

The habitat is the natural environment in which a species lives, such as the upper branches of trees for tree kangaroos.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is each step in the transfer of energy and matter within a biological community.

Front

What type of symbiosis occurs when both species benefit from the interaction?

Back

Mutualism.

Front

What is the primary producer in a food web?

Back

Primary producers are organisms, like plants and algae, that produce energy through photosynthesis.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

How does energy flow through a food chain?

Back

Energy flows from primary producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and so on.

Front

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.

Front

What is the significance of keystone species in an ecosystem?

Back

Keystone species have a disproportionately large impact on their environment relative to their abundance, helping to maintain the structure of the ecosystem.