Biology Ecology and Evolution Flashcards

Which ecological concept describes the role and position a species occupies in its environment, including its habitat and interactions?

Answer: Ecological niche

An ecological niche encompasses all the biotic and abiotic conditions a species needs to survive and reproduce, including its functional role.

What type of symbiosis occurs when one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed?

Answer: Commensalism

Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected, such as barnacles on whale skin.

In the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model, which condition would cause allele frequencies to change over time?

Answer: Natural selection

Natural selection causes differential reproductive success based on phenotype, which shifts allele frequencies and violates Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

What is the term for the evolutionary process by which two species influence each other's evolution over time?

Answer: Coevolution

Coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution, such as flowers and their pollinators.

Which level of the energy pyramid contains the greatest amount of stored energy?

Answer: Primary producers

Primary producers (plants) occupy the base of the energy pyramid and contain the most stored energy because energy is lost at each trophic level.

What term describes species that arrive early in ecological succession and modify the environment for later species?

Answer: Pioneer species

Pioneer species colonize barren or disturbed habitats first, altering soil and microclimate to allow subsequent species to establish.

Which mechanism of evolution involves the random change in allele frequency in small populations due to chance events?

Answer: Genetic drift

Genetic drift is the random fluctuation of allele frequencies in small populations, often having a large effect independent of fitness.