Ecosystems and Ecology Flashcards
6 cards from real Environmental Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Ecosystems and Ecology flashcards as text
What is the term for the total mass of living organisms in a given area or trophic level?
Answer: Biomass
Biomass refers to the total mass of living biological organisms in a particular area or ecosystem.
Which process removes dissolved oxygen from water, harming aquatic life, often caused by excess nutrient runoff?
Answer: Eutrophication
Eutrophication occurs when nutrient overload triggers algal blooms that deplete oxygen as they decompose.
The competitive exclusion principle states that two species competing for identical resources cannot:
Answer: Coexist indefinitely
Gause's principle holds that two species with the same niche cannot coexist; one will outcompete the other.
Which term describes a species native and restricted to a particular geographic area?
Answer: Endemic
Endemic species are found exclusively in a specific location and evolved in that area.
What is net primary productivity (NPP)?
Answer: Total photosynthesis minus plant respiration
NPP is gross primary productivity minus the energy plants use for their own respiration, representing available organic matter.
Which type of ecological relationship exists between a lion and a zebra?
Answer: Predation
Predation is a relationship where one organism (predator) kills and eats another (prey) for energy.