Ecology Review Quiz

To control pests and prevent damage to crops and non-target organisms.

Biomagnification refers to the increase in concentration of a toxin as it moves up the food chain, while bioaccumulation is the accumulation of toxins in an organism over time.

An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things interacting with each other in a specific environment. Biotic factors are living things like plants, animals, and microorganisms, while abiotic factors are non-living things like water, soil, and sunlight. These factors interact to create a delicate balance and support life within the ecosystem.

Human activities such as fertilizer use and sewage release lead to an increase in nutrient levels in water bodies, causing eutrophication.

Producers, such as plants and some microorganisms, produce energy through photosynthesis, converting light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose. This energy is then passed on to consumers in the ecosystem.

Decomposers break down organic matter and recycle nutrients, making them available to other organisms.

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms that eat other organisms, while a food web is a complex network of food chains. For example, a food chain might be: grass -> mouse -> snake -> hawk. A food web would include all the possible feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

Energy is lost as heat during each trophic transfer, resulting in a decline in energy available to consumers.

The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon through the ecosystem, involving the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms. Main reservoirs include the atmosphere, oceans, and fossil fuels, while processes include photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition.

A limiting factor is a resource that restricts the growth or size of a population. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size an ecosystem can support, and is influenced by limiting factors such as food, water, and habitat.

Fertilizer use can lead to an increase in nutrient levels in water bodies, causing eutrophication.

Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit, such as coral and zooxanthellae. Commensalism is a relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected, such as remora fish and sharks. Parasitism is a relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed, such as tapeworms and their hosts.

The three spheres provide the necessary resources and conditions for life to exist, including water, air, and nutrients.

Native species are naturally found in an ecosystem, while non-native species are introduced from elsewhere. Non-native invasive species can outcompete native species for resources, alter ecosystem processes, and even drive native species to extinction.

PCB biomagnifies in the food chain, causing harm to organisms that consume contaminated organisms.

Eutrophication is the excessive growth of algae in waterways due to high nutrient levels, often caused by human activities like fertilizer use. Consequences include decreased water quality, reduced biodiversity, and impacts on aquatic life.