Ecological Relationships

Living vs. Nonliving

Review of Ecological Levels of Organization

​Organism

(Of 1 species)

​(All living)

​(Where most living organisms are)

Multiple Select

Below is a list of factors in an ecosystem. Select all the abiotic factors.

• Shelter

• Water

• Protists

• Sunlight

• Prokaryotes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following scenario best describes an ecosystem?

• A pack of wolves that live in the same area

• A single protist

• Rabbits hopping around trees burrowing through soil

• Birds, mice, and trees inhabiting the same area

Multiple Choice

An ecosystem is best depicted by which letter?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors

• Carrying capacity (K) -maximum population size that can be supported in a particular area without destroying the habitat.

• Limiting factors - resources or other factors in the environment that can lower the population growth rate. They determine the carrying capacity of a population.

Examples of Biotic and Abiotic Limiting Factors

- Predation (shown in the graph)

- Food
- Nutrients

- Water

- Shelter

- Space

- Mates

- Competition

- Disease

- Human Activity

Multiple Choice

What valid conclusion can you draw about the total deer population from the graph shown?

• The total deer population increased gradually over time

• A sudden increase in predators occurred in the year 1900

• A decline in food sources occured from years 1750-1900

Multiple Choice

View the graph above. Which of the following statements best describes why population growth stabilizes as it reaches the carrying capacity?

• no predator

• running out of the limiting factor

• not enough solar energy

• abundant limiting resources

• unrestricted territory

Ecological Relationships

• Predator-Prey (Predation or Symbiotic

  & Producer-consumer)

Predator-Prey Relationship

• A predator is an organism that eats another organism.

• The prey is the organism which the predator eats.

• Predator and prey often coevolve together.

Competition

• Interspecies Competition - members of the same species in an ecosystem compete for limited resources such as water, food, shelter, & mates

• Intraspecies Competition- members of different species in an ecosystem compete for limited shared resources such as food, shelter, water

• Cooperation- when members of the same species help each other obtain resources

Symbiotic Relationships - 3 Types

Symbiosis is a close and long term relationship/interaction between two different biological organisms. The three Categories are:

1) Mutualism- relationship between two organisms of a different species in which both benefit
2) Commensalism - relationship between two organisms of a different species; only one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
3) Parasitism- relationship between two organisms of a different species; one organism benefits and the host organism is harmed

Multiple Choice

A feeding relationship where one organism hunts and one is hunted.

• Commensalism
• Decomposistion
• Mutualism
• Predator-Prey
• Producer-Consumer

Multiple Choice

This is known as a relationship in which one organism benefits, while the other is unaffected.

• Parasitism
• Mutualism
• Immigration
• Commensalism

Multiple Choice

What ecological relationship is depicted between Pumba (warthog) and the bugs?

• Competition

• Mutualistic

• Predator-Prey

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

Multiple Choice

Leftover food from the shark's prey nourishes the small remora fish. The shark remains largely unaffected. The ecological relationship between the whale and remora fish is known as -

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Predator-Prey

• Parasitism

Multiple Choice

Clownfish receives protection and shelter from the sea anemone and scares away predators of the sea anemone. The Clownfish also provides nutrients for the sea anemone through its excrement (waste). The symbiotic relationship is known as

• parasitism

• commensalism

• predator-prey

• competition

• mutualism

Multiple Choice

The flock of white seagulls that are fighting over a single food source (Nemo & Dory) depicts which ecological relatioship?

• Intraspecies Competition

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Interspecies Competition

Multiple Choice

Mistletoe attaches itself to a tree host and taps into its vascular system, drawing out vital nutrients and water. The host tree is harmed over time and may result in stunted growth.

• Predator-Prey

• Parasitism

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

Multiple Choice

Small birds called Phainopeplas have a specialized digestive tract for eating poisonous Mistletoe berries. The seeds in the berries pass through the digestive tract of the Phainopeplas and are dispersed to other trees through the bird's waste, which sprout and being to grown more Mistletoe. The ecological relationship between the bird and Mistletoe is ________

• commensalism because both the bird and mistletoe plant benefit in this symbiotic relationship

• parasitism because the birds consume mistletoe plants as their main source of food and the mistletoe population declines over time

• mutualism because the mistletoe plants are the main source of food for the birds and the birds serve as an agent of mistletoe seed dispersal

Multiple Choice

The pearlfish receives protection from predators by living inside a sea cucumber. The sea cucumber is not affected during this interaction. This ecological relationship is known as -

• predator-prey r

• mutualism

• parasitism

• commensalism

• competition

Multiple Choice

A pair of red, male kangaroos are seen fighting over a potential mate. The ecological relationship between the two male kangaroos shown is -

• Commensalism

• Mutualism

• Predator-Prey

• Competition

Multiple Select

The video clip depicts two whales of the same species chasing after and fighting for the food source (penguins). The two ecological relationships depicted in this scene are - (pick 2)

• Interspecies Competition

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Predator-Prey relationship

• Intraspecies Competion

Multiple Choice

If the rabbit and deer live in the same ecosystem, what valid conclusion can you draw from the interactions shown in the food web ?

• A disease that kills off all trees will result in a rapid decline in both the rabbit and deer population

• Rabbits and deer are in a mutualist relationship because they share food sources

• They may be in competition for some limiting resources such as food

Ch. 5.1 How Ecosystems Work

Food Chain vs. Web

• Chain: Path in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next.

• Web: Shows the energy flow and possible feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most likely to cause the greatest decrease in the snake population?

• an increase in the grasshopper population

• a decrease in the mouse population

• a decrease in the vulture population

• a decrease in the hawk population

Multiple Choice

Phytoplankton --> Krill --> Fish --> Sea Gull

Which organism in this food chain is the primary consumer?

• phytoplankton

• krill

• fish

• sea gull

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most likely to cause an increase in the croaker population?

• an increase in the anchovy population

• a decrease in the crab population

• a decrease in the bluefish population

• a decrease in the algae population

Trophic Levels

• Each step through which energy is transferred in a food chain/web.

• Each time energy is transferred from one organism to another, less energy is available at the next trophic level due to loss of energy from metabolism - work being done and heat from chemical reactions like Cellular respiration

Multiple Choice

In which trophic level in the picture are producers found?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Choice

In which level are secondary consumers found?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Choice

What is the producer in this food web?

• anchovy

• shrimp

• algae

• snail

Multiple Choice

Energy flows into an ecosystem through producers and is ultimately lost as...

• food & metabolism

• carbon dioxide & metabolism

• light & metabolism

• heat & metabolism

The decreased amount of energy at each trophic level affects the organization of an ecosystem.
Only 10% of the biomass is available to the next trophic level due to loss from metabolism work & heat - hence the pyramid

• Pyramid shape

Multiple Choice

If there is 50kcal of energy from prey available to a predator, how many kcal of energy will the predator have?

• 5kcal

• 500kcl

• 50kcal

• 10kcal

Multiple Choice

Organisms that produce their own food mostly through photosynthesis (producers). Examples are plants and algae.

• Ominvore

• Detritivore

• Heterotroph

• Autotrophs

Multiple Choice

Heterotrophs that get energy and nutrition from dead or decaying organisms or their waste products and recycle nutrients back to the ecosystem.

• Producer

• Trophic

• Decomposer

• Autotrooph

Multiple Choice

Matter is passed up the ecological pyramid in a similar way to energy but recycled by decomposers and detritivores. This Biomass pyramid roughly follows the __________ because the rest is lost due to metabolism and heat.

• 5% rule

• 10% rule

• 20% rule

• 15% rule

​Other Ways to Classify Consumers

​ Decomposers break down molecules and recycle nutrients into the soil/air. Detritivores eat dead/decaying organisms and keep prevent the build-up of rotting organisms that can house disease

Autotrophs = Self feeding, and make their own food while Heterotrophs = different feeding, and consume other organisms for food.
2nd level = only Herbivores & Omnivores & Decomposers
3rd & above= only Omnivores & Carnivores & Decomposers

​= heterotrophs

​Apex predators may only receive 10% of the biomass of the lower level, but they receive ALL of the concentrated toxins from ALL the lower levels

Multiple Choice

From this food web, both the Pallid Winged grasshopper and the wood rat are

• Producers

• 1st level consumers

• 2nd level consumers

• 3rd level consumers

Multiple Choice

In this order, plants would be _______, the grasshoppers are ________, birds are _________, and snakes are ______

• Producers, 1st level consumers, 2nd level consumers, 3rd levels consumers

• herbivores, detritivores, carnivores, also carnivores

• photosynthetic, consumers, predators, detritivores,

• 1st level consumers, 2nd level consumers, 3rd level consumers, 4th level consumers

• Producers, 2nd level consumers, 3rd level consumers, 4th level consumers

Multiple Choice

A 1st level consumer could be an omnivore.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Algae do photosynthesis and so are considered___________ while insects and rodents are ______________

• autotrophs, heterotrophs

• producers, carnivores

• heterotrophs, autotrophs

• 1st levels consumers, 2nd level consumers

Multiple Choice

Omnivores can exists at ALL trophic levels

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

___________ are rare because there is much less energy available for that trophic level

• apex predators

• primary consumers

• producers

• secondary consumers

Multiple Choice

Which organism could be the most affected by the biomagnification (concentration) of toxins?

• Fox

• Snake

• Hawk

• Owl