Chapter 2 Principles of Ecology

Front

What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?

Back

Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms that interact with each other.

Front

What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

Back

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

Front

Define ecology.

Back

Ecology is the branch of biology that studies the interactions among organisms and their environment.

Front

What are autotrophs?

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food using sunlight or chemical energy, such as plants and some bacteria.

Front

What are heterotrophs?

Back

Heterotrophs are organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other organisms for energy, such as animals and fungi.

Front

What is photosynthesis?

Back

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Front

What role do predators play in an ecosystem?

Back

Predators help control the population of prey species, maintaining a balance in the ecosystem.

Front

What is the significance of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and supporting plant growth.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that illustrates how different organisms are related in an ecosystem.