Honors Intro to Ecology Flashcard

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably.

Front

Define density-dependent factor.

Back

An environmental factor that affects a population's growth in relation to its density, such as predation, disease, and competition.

Front

What is a limiting factor in ecology?

Back

Any factor that restricts the size of a population, such as food availability, predation, or disease.

Front

Explain the concept of a food web.

Back

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients flow.

Front

What is the difference between a primary consumer and a producer?

Back

Producers are organisms that create their own food (e.g., plants), while primary consumers are organisms that eat producers (e.g., herbivores).

Front

What role do detritivores play in an ecosystem?

Back

Detritivores consume dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Front

What is the significance of increased birth rates in a population?

Back

Increased birth rates can lead to population growth, potentially exceeding the carrying capacity and causing resource depletion.

Front

How does predation affect population dynamics?

Back

Predation can limit the size of prey populations, influencing the overall balance of the ecosystem.

Front

What is the impact of disease on population size?

Back

Disease can reduce population size by increasing mortality rates, especially in dense populations.

Front

Define exponential growth in populations.

Back

A growth pattern where the population size increases rapidly over time, typically when resources are abundant.