Question 1

What are ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

A biological community of organisms that interact with each other and their physical environment

Question 2

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic components?

Accepted Answer

Biotic components are anything that is living (plants, animals, bacteria, etc.)

Abiotic components are anything that is not living (rocks, soil, air, etc.)

Question 3

What is the biosphere?

Accepted Answer

The sum of all ecosystems on earth

Question 4

What is a biome?

Accepted Answer

A large, natural community of biotic (living) organisms interacting within a major habitat

(tundra, grassland, desert, etc.)

Question 5

What is the difference between an ecosystem and a biome?

Accepted Answer

An ecosystem includes all biotic and abiotic factors in an environment

A biome is a collection of different ecosystems that share a similar climate

Question 6

What is a predator-prey relationship?

Accepted Answer

A relationship where a predator is some organism eats another organism (prey)

(a wolf eating a deer)

Question 7

What is symbiosis?

Accepted Answer

A close and long-term interaction between two species in an ecosystem

(mutualism, commensalism, and paratism)

Question 8

What is biological competition?

Accepted Answer

When two species share limited resources and must compete for those resources

Question 9

What is resource partitioning?

Accepted Answer

Using the available resources in different ways to reduce competition

(giraffes eat higher-up leaves while gazelles eat lower-down leaves)

Question 10

What are keystone species?

Accepted Answer

Species that are fundamental to an ecosystem

Removing keystone species will greatly disrupt an ecosystem

Question 11

What are ecosystem engineers?

Accepted Answer

A type of keystone species that modify their ecosystem in a way that maintains the habitat for other organisms

(elephants leave big paths which help stop wildfires)

1.1 Introduction to Ecosystems, AP Environmental Science Flashcards