Ecosystems Test

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with their physical environment (soil, water, and climate).

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can support sustainably without degrading the habitat.

Front

Define autotroph.

Back

An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food from inorganic materials, typically through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Front

What is a community in ecological terms?

Back

A community is a group of different species living together in a specific area, interacting with each other and their environment.

Front

What is eutrophication?

Back

Eutrophication is the process by which a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen.

Front

What are limiting factors in an ecosystem?

Back

Limiting factors are environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population within an ecosystem.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem and helping to maintain soil health.

Front

What is the difference between a population and a community?

Back

A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area, while a community includes all the different species in that area.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia or related compounds in soil, making it available for plants.

Front

Explain the term 'symbiosis'.

Back

Symbiosis is a close and long-term interaction between two different species, which can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful to one or both parties.