Introduction to Ecology

What is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment?

What are the nonliving things that influence an organism?

What is the term for all forms of life with which an organism interacts?

What is the term for everything that affects an organism during its lifetime?

What is the term for the physical space in which an organism lives?

What is the primary effect of limiting factors on species success?

What determines the range of conditions in which an organism can survive?

What is the result of a species having a narrow range of tolerance?

Which of the following is an example of a limiting factor for plants?

What is the relationship between climate and species success?

What defines the habitat of an organism?

What is the niche of an organism?

What does an organism's niche include?

What is the difference between an organism's habitat and its niche?

What affects an organism's niche?

What is the primary role of a keystone species in an ecosystem?

What is the effect of bison on the biodiversity of American tall grass prairie ecosystems?

What is the purpose of bison wallows in American tall grass prairie ecosystems?

How do bison feeding patterns affect fire in American tall grass prairie ecosystems?

What type of plant species are able to thrive when bison are present in American tall grass prairie ecosystems?

What is the basic unit of heredity?

What is a group of organisms of the same kind living in a specific geographic area called?

What is true about the number of genes in a population compared to an individual?

What is the definition of a species?

What determines the characteristics of an individual?

What is the process that determines which individuals within a species will reproduce and pass their genes to the next generation?

What is the term for the changes seen in the genes and characteristics of a population over time?

What is the outcome of natural selection acting on a population over time?

What determines which individuals within a species will reproduce and pass their genes to the next generation?

What is the key driver of the changes seen in the genes and characteristics of a population over time?

Why do most offspring die?

What is the result of individual variation in a species?

What happens to the percentage of individuals with favorable variations over time?

What is the outcome of the process described in the text?

What determines which individuals will survive and reproduce?

What is the process of creating new species from existing ones?

What occurs when an entire species disappears?

What is the term for the reciprocal influence of two or more species on each other's evolution?

What is the result of speciation?

What is the relationship between coevolution and extinction?

What is thought to occur as a result of a species dividing into two isolated subpopulations?

What is the result of a species dividing into two isolated subpopulations?

What leads to the formation of two isolated subpopulations from a single species?

What is the primary mechanism driving speciation?

What is the outcome of the process described in the text?

How many species have gone extinct out of the estimated 500 million species believed to have ever existed on Earth?

What can cause the extinction of a species suddenly?

What is the result of a species gradually losing out in competition for food?

Over what time period can extinction occur?

What is the reason for the extinction of a species that is otherwise healthy?

What is the status of the Arabian Ostrich?

Which species is being reintroduced to help recover in Oman?

What is the conservation status of the Arabian Tahr?

Which bird species is at risk in Oman?

What is the conservation status of the Ghaf tree?

At what level can coevolution occur?

What is an example of coevolution?

What is the scope of coevolution?

What is the relationship between coevolution and species?

What is a characteristic of coevolution?

What is predation?

What is the advantage of prey adaptation?

What is the benefit for the predator in predation?

What is the result of predation on the prey population?

Why do prey species evolve adaptations?

What is the term for competition between members of the same species?

What is the term for competition between members of different species?

What is the primary driving force behind competition?

What is a common characteristic of intraspecific and interspecific competition?

What is an example of a limited resource that can lead to competition?

What happens to a less-fit species in a competitive environment?

What is the main consequence of two species occupying the same ecological niche?

What is the driving force behind the evolution of a species into a new niche?

What is the result of a species occupying the same ecological niche as another species?

What is the primary mechanism behind the adaptation of a species to a new niche?

What is unique about each warbler species in the NE USA?

What is the term for the unique role of each warbler species in the NE USA?

What is the result of each warbler species in the NE USA having its own unique niche?

What is the characteristic of each warbler species in the NE USA that allows them to coexist?

What is the key to the success of each warbler species in the NE USA?

What is a necessary condition for a symbiotic relationship to exist?

What is the term for a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is not affected?

How many categories of symbiotic relationships are there?

What is the term for a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed?

What is the term for a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit?

What is the term for a relationship where one organism lives in or on another and derives nourishment?

Where do ectoparasites live in relation to their host?

What is an example of an endoparasite?

What is the term for an organism that lives in or on another and derives nourishment?

Which of the following is an example of an ectoparasite?

What is the type of relationship in which one species benefits and the other is not affected?

What is the term for a relationship where both species benefit?

What is an example of a mutualistic relationship?

What is the term for a type of relationship where one species is obligatory to another?

What is the term for the relationship between fungi and plants?

What is a community in ecology?

What is the defined space where interactions take place between a community and its physical environment?

What interacts with the physical environment in an ecosystem?

What is composed of a community and its physical environment?

What two components make up an ecosystem?

What is the primary function of producers in an ecosystem?

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

What do consumers require as a source of food?

What category of organisms includes those that break down non-living organic matter?

Which category of organisms is responsible for producing complex organic molecules?

What is the primary source of food for primary consumers?

Which type of consumer eats both plants and animals?

What is the term for an animal that eats other animals?

What do primary consumers eat?

What is the classification of an animal that eats plants?

What is a trophic level?

Why is biomass often used as a proxy in ecosystems?

What happens to most of the useful energy in an ecosystem?

What is the relationship between energy loss and trophic levels?

What percentage of useful energy is lost as heat in an ecosystem?

What is the flow of energy through in a food chain?

What is a food web?

What is the primary component of a food chain?

What is the result of multiple food chains interacting?

What is the main difference between a food chain and a food web?

What can a single predator have at the same time?

What is the relationship between a predator and its prey?

What is the characteristic of a predator's diet?

What is the result of predation on the ecosystem?

What is the primary role of predators in an ecosystem?

What are organisms composed of?

What happens to molecules and atoms in an ecosystem?

What are the two main components of an ecosystem?

What is the relationship between living and non-living components in an ecosystem?

What happens to the molecules and atoms in an ecosystem over time?

What is the primary product of photosynthesis in plants?

What happens to the complex organic molecules in plants when eaten by herbivores?

What is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis in plants?

What is the result of respiration in organisms?

What is the fate of the molecular building blocks in herbivores?

What is the purpose of decomposers in an ecosystem?

What are carbon sinks?

Where can carbon sinks be found?

What process is involved in decomposition?

What happens when fossil fuels are burned?

Why does converting forests to agricultural land increase atmospheric carbon dioxide?

What is the primary source of the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels are burned?

What is the impact of burning fossil fuels on the carbon cycle?

What is a consequence of converting forests to agricultural land?

What do plants use during photosynthesis to produce sugars?

What is a by-product of photosynthesis in plants?

What do herbivores break down into simpler molecular building blocks?

What is produced during respiration?

What is incorporated into herbivores' structure from plants?

What is the purpose of carbon sinks?

What occurs during the decay process of decomposers?

What type of molecules do decomposers recycle?

Where are carbon sinks found?

What is the result of decomposers recycling organic molecules?

What is the primary source of nitrogen for producers?

What is the role of denitrifying bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

What is the final destination of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle?

What is the role of nitrifying bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

What is formed when nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) into a usable form?

What happens when too much nitrogen or phosphorus is applied as fertilizer?

What is a result of an increase in plants and algae in aquatic ecosystems?

What is a potential consequence of toxic algae in aquatic ecosystems?

What are 'dead zones' in aquatic ecosystems?

What is the primary cause of the problems described in the text?

What is the primary source of phosphorus atoms?

What do plants use phosphorus to construct?

How do animals obtain necessary phosphorus?

What is the role of decomposers in the phosphorus cycle?

What happens to phosphorus compounds after they are released by erosion?

What is the primary consequence of burning fossil fuels?

What is the likely outcome of applying excessive nitrogen or phosphorus as fertilizer?

Why does converting forests to agricultural land increase atmospheric carbon dioxide?

What is the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on bacteria, algae, and aquatic plants?

What is the relationship between carbon dioxide and the atmosphere?

What primarily determines the kind of climax community that develops?

What is the result of the activities of organisms on their surroundings?

What is an example of a change that occurs in an environment due to the activities of organisms?

What is the relationship between the activities of organisms and the environment?

What is the outcome of the succession of organisms in an environment?