Semester I Final in Environmental Science

Front

What is the 'Tragedy of the Commons'?

Back

The 'Tragedy of the Commons' refers to a situation in which individuals, acting independently according to their self-interest, deplete shared resources, leading to negative outcomes for the entire community. An example is overfishing in the ocean due to lack of regulation.

Front

What does the principle of competitive exclusion state?

Back

The principle of competitive exclusion states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat for long periods without one driving the other to extinction or forcing it to migrate.

Front

What is a niche in an ecosystem?

Back

A niche is the unique role a species plays in its environment, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other organisms.

Front

How do food webs differ from food chains?

Back

Food webs are more complex and accurate representations of energy transfer among organisms, showing multiple feeding relationships, while food chains are simpler and linear.

Front

What type of information is collected when counting the number of moose photographed per day?

Back

This is quantitative information, as it involves numerical data that can be measured.

Front

Define abiotic factors in an ecosystem.

Back

Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, and soil.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the flow of energy and nutrients, such as producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers.

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

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

Front

Explain the concept of carrying capacity.

Back

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

Front

What is biodiversity?

Back

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of different species, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.