Questions and Answers
Why do chipmunks in the Great Smoky Mountains survive?
Their needs are met in that environment.
What is a balanced ecosystem?
No animal or plant drives out other animals or plants.
What would balance an ecosystem with too many rabbits?
There would be more foxes that eat rabbits.
If the rabbits that are the main prey for foxes become sick and die, how does this change the ecosystem?
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How does a parasite affect an ecosystem?
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What is succession?
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What would cause an ecosystem to change quickly?
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What is the effect on an ecosystem of a climate change from rainy to dry?
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What could scientists tell from a fish fossil found in a desert?
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What might cause an animal to become extinct?
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How are a hawk and an owl able to succeed, even though they compete for food?
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How can people disturb the balance of an ecosystem?
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How can damage from strip mines be repaired?
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Why does the US have national parks?
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What is the relationship between parasites and hosts?
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Study Notes
Chipmunks and Ecosystems
- Chipmunks thrive in the Great Smoky Mountains as their environmental needs are met.
- A balanced ecosystem maintains harmony, where no species outcompetes others for survival.
Ecological Balance
- An excess of rabbits in an ecosystem may be regulated by an increase in fox populations that prey on them.
- A decline in the rabbit population due to illness directly leads to fewer foxes, altering the predator-prey dynamic.
Impact of Organisms
- Parasites negatively affect hosts while benefiting their own survival, illustrating a delicate ecological relationship.
- Succession refers to a gradual transition that transforms one ecosystem into another, adapting to environmental changes.
Rapid Ecosystem Changes
- Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, can precipitate fast alterations within ecosystems.
- Shifts in climate from wet to dry conditions can result in significant changes to plant and animal species present in an ecosystem.
Fossils and Historical Ecosystems
- Discovery of fish fossils in a desert indicates that the area was previously a body of water, highlighting geological changes over time.
- Habitat destruction is a primary factor leading to animal extinction.
Predator Adaptations
- Hawks and owls exemplify niche differentiation, enabling coexistence despite food competition by hunting at different times of the day.
Human Impact
- Urban development disrupts ecological balance, exemplified by habitat destruction caused by construction.
- Strip mine damage can be mitigated through soil replacement by mining companies to restore affected lands.
Conservation Efforts
- The establishment of national parks in the U.S. aims to protect natural beauty and conserve habitats essential for plant and animal survival.
Host-Parasite Dynamics
- Parasites depend on hosts for nourishment, often to the detriment of their health, demonstrating an intricate ecological relationship.
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Description
Test your understanding of key concepts from Chapter 4 in ecology. This quiz covers important definitions and examples related to ecosystems and population balance. Improve your grasp of how different species interact within their environments.
