Ecology and Evolution

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What is a primary consumer?

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A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) in an ecosystem. They are typically herbivores.

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What is adaptation in biology?

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Adaptation is a trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

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What is directional selection?

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Directional selection is a type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others, leading to a shift in the population's traits.

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What defines an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.

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What are density-dependent factors?

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Density-dependent factors are environmental factors whose effects on a population change as population density changes, such as food availability and disease.

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What is a secondary consumer?

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A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers; they are typically carnivores or omnivores.

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What is a producer in an ecosystem?

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A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, such as plants.

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What is stabilizing selection?

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Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors average phenotypes and reduces variation in a trait.

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What is disruptive selection?

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Disruptive selection is a type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes over average ones, potentially leading to speciation.

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What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

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