Ecology: Species, Populations, Communities

What primarily defines a species?

Which factors directly influence population size?

What does carrying capacity represent?

What is a community in ecological terms?

What does an ecosystem include that a community does not?

Which term describes the variety of life in an ecosystem?

In an ecosystem, energy flow is best described as:

What role does decomposition play in nutrient cycling?

Which of the following is a primary goal of conservation biology?

Which of the following human activities contributes most directly to habitat loss?

What is the niche concept in ecology?

What is the primary difference between exponential and logistic population growth?

Which interaction benefits both species involved?

Why is energy transfer between trophic levels inefficient?

What are the key threats to biodiversity?

Why is biodiversity considered valuable?

How does agriculture contribute to pollution?

What is the primary driver of climate change?

Which of the following is a sustainable practice to mitigate human impacts on ecosystems?

How does urbanization typically impact local ecosystems?

How does competition within a community affect the niche of a species?

What best describes the relationship between gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP)?

Which of the following best explains the concept of trophic cascade?

How does habitat fragmentation typically affect biodiversity within a given region?

What is a key difference between the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles?

Why are invasive species often successful in new environments?

Which conservation strategy focuses on reconnecting fragmented habitats?

What is the 'edge effect' in the context of fragmented habitats?

How might climate change indirectly affect biodiversity through changes in species interactions?

Consider a scenario where a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem. What is the most likely long-term consequence?

What distinguishes a metapopulation from a single, continuous population?

In the context of island biogeography, what factors primarily influence species richness on an island?

How does the concept of 'shifting baselines' hinder effective conservation efforts?

A remote island ecosystem is home to a unique species of flightless bird. A disease, to which the birds have no immunity, is introduced by visiting researchers. Which of the following population sizes would give the species the best chance of long-term survival?

An agricultural region is experiencing drastic declines in pollinator populations. To combat this, the local agricultural extension office recommends planting a variety of native flowering plants along the field edges. This is primarily an example of:

Which variable isn't explicitly part of the equation for logistic population growth, but nonetheless influences the final population size?

Imagine a pristine, old-growth forest. Over time, a devastating fire sweeps through the area, killing almost all living things. Over the next few centuries, a new, but ultimately similar, forest ecosystem re-establishes itself. This is an example of:

A researcher is studying a population of fish in a stream. They introduce a new, non-native species of fish that competes with the native fish for food and habitat. After several years, they notice that the native fish population has dramatically declined and shifted its feeding times, and also now occupies a different part of the stream. This scenario most clearly demonstrates: