EOC Review - Ecology

Secondary succession refers to the process of ecological recovery that occurs in an area where a disturbance has destroyed an existing ecosystem but left the soil intact.

Logistic growth graph illustrates how a population grows rapidly at first and then levels off as it reaches the carrying capacity of its environment.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their non-living environment.

Lichens begin to break down rock to form soil, which is essential for the establishment of other plant species.

A community is a group of populations in an area that interact with each other.

Primary succession is the process of ecological change that occurs in an area where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption.

Primary succession starts from bare rock or lifeless areas, while secondary succession occurs in areas where an ecosystem has been disturbed but soil remains.

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for plants.

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.