APES Ecosystem Unit Review

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What is species richness?

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Species richness refers to the number of different species present in a given ecosystem.

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What is species evenness?

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Species evenness measures how evenly the individuals are distributed among the different species in an ecosystem.

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Define carrying capacity.

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Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can sustainably support.

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What are pioneer species?

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Pioneer species are the first organisms to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, initiating ecological succession.

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What is a climax community?

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A climax community is a stable and mature ecological community that has reached a steady state after succession.

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Explain biomagnification.

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Biomagnification is the process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in organisms at each successive level of the food chain.

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What role do forests play in carbon cycling?

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Forests act as carbon sinks by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

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What is ecological succession?

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Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

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Define primary consumers.

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Primary consumers are organisms that eat producers (plants) and are the second trophic level in a food chain.

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

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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.