NC Biology EOC Review: Ecosystems

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) in a specific area.

Front

Define biodiversity.

Back

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

Front

What is a community in ecological terms?

Back

A community is a collection of different populations of organisms that live together in a specific area and interact with one another.

Front

Explain the concept of predation.

Back

Predation is a biological interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts and kills another organism (the prey) for food.

Front

What is competition in an ecosystem?

Back

Competition occurs when two or more organisms or species compete for the same resources (such as food, water, or space) in an ecosystem.

Front

Define habitat destruction.

Back

Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species, often due to human activities like deforestation, urbanization, and pollution.

Front

What is the role of a keystone species?

Back

A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance, often maintaining the structure of the ecosystem.

Front

Explain the term 'carrying capacity.'

Back

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

Front

What is mutualism?

Back

Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship between two different species where both species benefit from the interaction.

Front

Define parasitism.

Back

Parasitism is a relationship between two species where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other organism (the host), often harming it.