Flashcard #10 Organisms Interactions in Ecosystems

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

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

Front

What happens to prey population when predator population increases?

Back

The prey population typically decreases due to increased predation.

Front

What are limiting factors in an ecosystem?

Back

Factors that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem.

Front

Give an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem.

Back

Plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria are all examples of biotic factors.

Front

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Back

Biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem, while abiotic factors are non-living components like water, soil, and climate.

Front

How do limiting factors help maintain ecosystem balance?

Back

They prevent populations from exceeding the carrying capacity, ensuring resources are available for all organisms.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

What role do producers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers, like plants, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Front

What is the significance of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil.

Front

What is symbiosis?

Back

A close and long-term interaction between two different species, which can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful.