Ecology Quiz on Population Density and Ecosystems

Individuals of a species group together in areas with high resource availability.

Individuals are evenly spaced due to competition for resources.

Individuals are scattered randomly. Resources are evenly distributed.

Number of individuals per unit area.

Number of individuals divided by the area

A decline in the number of deer per square kilometer may indicate habitat degradation or reduced resource availability.

Data collection to study the effect of reintroduced wolves on other species populations.

Factors like abundant resources, favorable conditions, and decreased predation.

Factors like resource scarcity, unfavorable conditions, or increased predation.

Scientists track population size over time to determine if a population is growing or shrinking

Introduction of wolves might change the dispersion patterns of other species due for instance to predation pressures or competition for resources

The maximum population size of a species an environment can consistently support.

Factors whose effect depends on the number of individuals in an area.

Individuals compete for food, water, shelter, and other necessities.

The interaction between predators and their prey.

Factors affecting a population regardless of its size.

Droughts, floods, frost, storms. All affect populations regardless of their size.

Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires - Impact populations despite their size.

Amount of sunlight reaching the understory of a forest; Dependent on canopy density.

Human actions like habitat destruction that decrease population size regardless of density.

Canopy (top layer of trees), understory (layer beneath canopy).

Interaction where one species (predator) hunts and eats another (prey)

Different species using slightly different resources to avoid direct competition

Close interaction between two different species

Interaction where two or more species try to use the same limited resource

Two organisms fighting for the same limited resources, like food or space.

Two species cannot occupy the same niche or resource.

Dividing resources to avoid competition.

A predator eats its prey.

Close interaction between two different species.

Both species benefit from the interaction.

One species benefits, the other is neither helped nor harmed.

One species benefits (parasite), while the other is harmed (host).

The process by which an ecosystem develops or re-establishes itself after a disturbance, like a volcanic eruption or land clearing.

The variety of species in an ecosystem.

Early plants in an ecosystem undergoing recovery from a disturbance can grow in bare rock by using resources already available and by stabilizing the environment.

The number of different species in an area.

How evenly distributed the different species are.

Plants in a new ecosystem are vital! They create soil, provide food, and shelter, paving the way for more complex life.

The specific environment where an organism lives, encompassing both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components.

Area 1 has more types of species but the different species are not equally common.

An organism's role in an ecosystem, encompassing its factors required for survival like food, resources, relationships with other species and abiotic conditions.

What an organism eats and how it interacts with others for food.

Non-living factors, like temperature, water, and sunlight, that affect an organism.

A community of living organisms and their physical environment.

The way an organism acts, interacts, and responds to its environment.

How organisms in an ecosystem relate, influencing their abundance and distribution.

Regions with high concentration of unique plant and animal species, needing special protection.

Different hotspots face varied threats and require different conservation strategies; costs and species counts vary, requiring tailored approaches.

A species that significantly influences the structure and function of an ecosystem through its interactions.

Keystone species play crucial roles in maintaining biodiversity by providing resources and influencing other species' populations.

Protecting a keystone species often protects the entire ecosystem because it has such a large effect on many other species.

Conditions, events or circumstances impacting the number of species.

The predictable series of changes in a community over time.

Ecosystem development on previously uninhabited land, like bare rock.

Ecosystem recovery where soil is already present.

Examples include melting glaciers, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

Examples include flood, fire, and agricultural clearing.

Secondary Succession is faster due to already-present soil and organisms.

Pre-existing soil and organisms speed up recovery within an ecosystem.

A series of changes in a community over time.

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time, despite disturbances.

The overall processes taking place in an ecosystem (like energy flow, nutrient cycling).

A change in the environment that disrupts the normal functioning of an ecosystem.

The capacity of an ecosystem to recover after a disturbance.

The ability of an ecosystem to resist changes.

Understanding the relationship between ecosystem function and time after a disturbance.

Assessing the likelihood of an ecosystem returning to a previous stable state after a disturbance.

Evaluating the extent of change in ecosystem function caused by a disturbance.

Identifying the nature of the change that disrupted the ecosystem's function.