Ecosystem Basics Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is succession?

A series of predictable and orderly changes within an ecosystem over time.

What is primary succession?

Succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists.

What is secondary succession?

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil.

What are pioneer species?

<p>First species to populate an area during primary succession.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a climax community?

<p>A stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is ecology?

<p>The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a biosphere?

<p>Contains all the combined portions of the planet in which life exists.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a biotic factor?

<p>Any living thing in the environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an abiotic factor?

<p>Any physical or non-living factor in the environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an organism?

<p>Any living thing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a species?

<p>Group of organisms so similar in their DNA that they are able to breed and produce fertile offspring.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does fertile mean?

<p>Able to bear children.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does sterile mean?

<p>Unable to bear children.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a population?

<p>Group of the same species living in the same place at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a community?

<p>Different populations living in the same place at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an ecosystem?

<p>All the organisms and their physical surroundings.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a biome?

<p>Group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant plant and animal communities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a niche?

<p>The role an organism plays in its environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a habitat?

<p>Where an organism lives out its life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is competition?

<p>Occurs when different organisms attempt to use a resource in the same place at the same time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a resource?

<p>Any necessity of life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is predation?

<p>One organism hunts down another for food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a predator?

<p>The hunter or trapper.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is prey?

<p>The organism that gets eaten.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a symbiotic relationship?

<p>Relationship between two different species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is mutualism?

<p>Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of mutualism.

<p>Bees and flowers: bees eat nectar from the flower and the flower gets pollinated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is commensalism?

<p>Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits but the other is not harmed nor helped.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of commensalism.

<p>Remora and shark - remora gets the shark's leftovers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is parasitism?

<p>Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a parasite?

<p>Organism that feeds on another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Give an example of parasitism.

<p>A tick feeding off a dog.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a host?

<p>Organism that a parasite feeds off of.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is radiant energy?

<p>Sunlight.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is chemical energy?

<p>Food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an autotroph?

<p>Organism that makes its own food.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a heterotroph?

<p>Organism that has to eat for energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name three types of organisms that are autotrophic.

<p>All plants, some bacteria, all algae.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is photosynthesis?

<p>Conversion of radiant energy into chemical energy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is chemosynthesis?

<p>Converting inorganic molecules into organic food molecules.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ecosystem Basics

  • Succession: Predictable and orderly changes in an ecosystem over time.

  • Primary Succession: Occurs on barren surfaces lacking soil, initiating ecosystem development.

  • Secondary Succession: Follows disturbances that destroy a community but maintain soil integrity.

  • Pioneer Species: Initial organisms that colonize a new environment during primary succession.

  • Climax Community: A stable and mature ecological state, no longer undergoing significant changes.

  • Ecology: The study of interactions among organisms and their interactions with the environment.

  • Biosphere: Encompasses all areas of Earth where life exists, from 11 km below sea level to 8 km above.

  • Biotic Factors: Any living components in an ecosystem, such as animals, plants, and microorganisms.

  • Abiotic Factors: Non-living physical aspects of the environment, including water, sunlight, soil, and minerals.

  • Organism: Any individual life form, such as a single deer.

  • Species: Groups of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.

  • Fertile: Describes individuals or species capable of reproduction.

  • Sterile: Refers to individuals or species unable to reproduce.

  • Population: A collection of individuals from the same species living simultaneously in a specific area, like a herd of deer.

  • Community: Various populations of different species occupying the same environment at once, e.g., deer, bunnies, and squirrels in a forest.

  • Ecosystem: The combination of living organisms and their physical environment, such as a forest ecosystem.

  • Biome: A larger ecological area characterized by specific climate conditions and distinct plant and animal communities, e.g., deserts and taigas.

  • Niche: The role or function of an organism within its ecosystem, including its behavior and its interactions with other organisms.

  • Habitat: The specific environment where an organism resides, such as a bear's den.

  • Competition: Occurs when organisms vie for the same resources within a shared area, for example, birds competing for food.

  • Resource: Essential life necessities including food, water, shelter, oxygen, space, and nutrients.

  • Predation: A biological interaction where one organism hunts another for food, such as a cat that eats a mouse.

  • Predator: The hunter in a predation relationship, examples include lions and spiders.

  • Prey: The organism that is hunted and consumed, such as crickets or zebras.

  • Symbiotic Relationship: Interactions between two different species, influencing both organisms’ survival.

  • Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit, e.g., bees pollinating flowers while obtaining nectar.

  • Commensalism: A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed, such as remoras attaching to sharks.

  • Parasitism: A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another, causing harm.

  • Parasite: An organism that sustains itself by feeding off a host, e.g., ticks or fleas.

  • Host: An organism that provides sustenance to a parasite, such as a dog or cat.

  • Radiant Energy: Energy derived from sunlight, the original source of energy for ecosystems.

  • Chemical Energy: Energy stored in food that organisms utilize for metabolic processes.

  • Autotroph/Producer: Organisms that independently produce their own food, primarily using photosynthesis, including plants, some bacteria, and algae.

  • Heterotroph/Consumer: Organisms that must consume other living entities for energy.

  • Photosynthesis: The process by which plants convert sunlight into chemical energy to make food.

  • Chemosynthesis: Conversion of inorganic compounds into organic food molecules by specific bacteria, often in extreme environments.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the fundamentals of ecosystems, including processes like succession and the roles of pioneer species. This quiz covers essential concepts such as biotic and abiotic factors, climax communities, and the overall structure of the biosphere. Perfect for students exploring ecology!

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