Review Unit 2 Ecology

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What is mutualism?

Back

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction. Example: Red-billed oxpeckers feeding on parasites found on impalas.

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What is commensalism?

Back

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. Example: Cattle egrets feeding on insects stirred up by cattle.

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What is parasitism?

Back

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another. Example: A tick feeding on a dog.

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What is immigration in ecology?

Back

The movement of individuals into a population from another area.

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What is emigration in ecology?

Back

The movement of individuals out of a population to another area.

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What is the phosphorus cycle?

Back

The biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

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What is a limiting factor?

Back

An environmental factor that restricts population growth, such as food, water, or space.

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What is density-independent limiting factor?

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A factor that affects population size regardless of the population's density, such as natural disasters.

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What is the role of phosphate in ecosystems?

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Phosphate is essential for plant growth and is absorbed from the soil by plants.

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What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

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Biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem, while abiotic factors are non-living components.