Ecology

Ecology -the study of the interaction between organisms and their environment

Biotic factors include living factors that can affect populations in an ecosystem. This includes:

Other organisms (plants/consumers).

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​Biotic Factors

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Abiotic Factors include anything in an environment that is considered nonliving.

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Abiotic Factors

Multiple Select

Choose all the abiotic factors listed

• water

• mates

• space

• temperature

• predators

Multiple Select

Choose all the biotic factors listed

• sunlight

• food

• predators

• disease

• water

Multiple Choice

What abiotic factor would plants compete for?

• Food

• Sunlight

• Parasites

• predators

Multiple Choice

Water is a compound that consists of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom. Up to 60% of an adult human is made up of water. Water is an example of what type of factor?

• Biotic

• Abiotic

Multiple Choice

An angler fish has a fleshy growth on its head that gives off light. This part acts as a lure to help the angler fish catch its prey. An anglerfish is an example of which type of factor?

• Biotic

• Abiotic

These type of relationships describe the interaction between organisms where one species BENEFITS from the relationship.

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Symbiotic Relationships

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The clownfish give sea anemone food and in return they get protection.

They BOTH BENEFIT!​

Mutualism

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The turtle gives space for algae to grow, and the turtle is unaffected. ONLY the algae benefits, but the turtle is unaffected.

Commensalism​

The kookaburra lays its eggs in another birds nest so their young can be raised. The young are raised alongside the other birds.

Parasitism

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MUTUALISM​

Let's watch a video of a Mutualistic relationship in the Tropical Rainforest.

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2qdxVVRm4​

Multiple Choice

Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other. They both watch for predators. Because the visual abilities of the two species are different, they can each identify threats that the other animal may not see as readily.

• symbiosis

• parasitism

• mutualism

• commensalism

Multiple Choice

What type of symbiosis?  Skunks often live in burrows that have been dug and abandoned by woodchucks.  

• commensalism
• mutualism
• parasitism
• predation

Multiple Choice

Epiphytes are a class of plants that grow in the crooks of tree branches. They simply use the tree branches as a way to be higher—closer to the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. The trees aren’t affected by this relationship.

• symbiosis

• parasitism

• mutualism

• commensalism

Multiple Choice

This is any close relationship between any two different species in an ecosystem

• symbiosis

• parasitism

• mutualism

• commensalism

Multiple Choice

Aphids are tiny insects that live on and eat the leaves of plants, removing vital nutrients from the plants.

• Predation

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

Multiple Choice

Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the developing seeds. Both species benefit. 

• parasitism
• commensalism
• mutualism

Multiple Choice

Where do parasites such as aphids, fleas, or mistletoe live?

• Inside the host

• Outside the host

Multiple Choice

Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the spruce tree to the detriment of the spruce. This is an example of which type of symbiosis?

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

Multiple Choice

In a parasitic relationship, one organism is ___________ and one organism is benefiting. 

• helped
• harmed
• not effected
• happy

Multiple Choice

A mite lives in the base of the eyelashes of people who use mascara. It feeds on the mascara; it does not seem to harm people. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?

• mutualism
• commensalism
• parasitism
• predation

For any population to thrive, there must be enough food, water and liviing space. These are called limiting factors because they limit how many organisms can live in an environment.

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Limiting Factors

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Multiple Choice

If the population of a certain predator increases, there is often _______ its prey

• a decrease the population of
• an increase of the population of 
• great news for its prey of
• no  impact found on

Multiple Choice

A group of elephants gets stuck in mud at the edge of the river from a recent mud slide. A lion waits for an elephant to get tired before it attacks. What is the limiting factor to the elephant population?

• Predator-Prey Relationships

• Natural Disaster

• Herbivory Effect

• Competition

Multiple Choice

If there is more food than usual in an ecosystem, then...

• Populations will stay the same
• Populations will decrease
• Populations will increase

Multiple Choice

If there was a wildfire in the forest that destroyed the plant life, what would happen to the herbivore population?

• Herbivores would decrease due to a lack of food

• Herbivores would increase due to an increase of food

• Herbivores would not be affected

• Herbivores would decrease due to an increase in predators

Multiple Choice

What is a population?

• All the organisms living in an area

• The living and non-living organisms in an area

• A group of the same species living in an area

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The largest population an environment can support.

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Carrying Capacity

Multiple Choice

What happens if a population grows past its carrying capacity?

• The population keeps growing

• The population starts to die off

• The entire species will go extinct

• The carrying capacity just increases

Multiple Choice

What is the carrying capacity of the graph?

• 1000

• 8000

• 800

• 600

Multiple Choice

Which of the following would INCREASE the carrying capacity of an ecosystem?

• increase in predators
• disease
• increase in available food
• drought

Multiple Choice

Two arctic fox are fighting with a polar bear for a sea lion carcass. One fox distracts the bear while the other eats. What type of limiting factor is the polar bear?

• Predator-Prey Relationships

• Competition

• Herbivory Effect

• Weather

Multiple Choice

What is the carrying capacity for this sheep population?

• 1.8 million
• 1.25 million
• 1.6 million
• 1.o million

Multiple Choice

When the death rate rises and the birth rate lowers...

• population increases

• population decreases

• population stays the same

• all of these

Multiple Choice

Which of the following would likely be a limiting factor to a population?

• Abundance of food

• Living near a water source

• Presence of a natural predator

• Multiple sources for shelter

Multiple Choice

What happens if a population goes over its carrying capacity?

• It will continue to grow

• It will eventually decrease due to a lack of resources

• It will die immediately

• It will get unlimited resources