ESS Topic 2
Across
- 5. The spatial change in communities along an environmental gradient (e.g., moving up a mountain).
- 7. The maximum number of individuals of a species that can be sustainably supported by a given area.
- 8. An S-shaped growth curve that levels off as a population reaches its carrying capacity.
- 9. A capture-mark-recapture method used to estimate the population size of motile (moving) organisms.
- 12. A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.
- 13. The particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources to which an organism or population responds.
- 16. The first organisms to colonize a bare or disturbed area (e.g., lichens, mosses).
- 17. The energy remaining after producers have met their own respiratory needs (GPP - R).
- 19. Species that produce few offspring but invest high amounts of parental care (e.g., humans, elephants).
- 21. Limiting factors that affect a population regardless of its size (e.g., climate, natural disasters).
Down
- 1. The final, stable stage of ecological succession that remains in dynamic equilibrium.
- 2. Species that produce a large number of offspring but provide little to no parental care.
- 3. The living components of an ecosystem, including all organisms and their interactions.
- 4. An interrupted climax community where human activity (grazing, fire) prevents natural succession.
- 6. The process of ecological change starting on entirely new land (e.g., bare rock or volcanic islands).
- 8. Ecological change occurring in an area where soil already exists (e.g., after a forest fire or logging).
- 10. A linear model showing the flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to the next.
- 11. The total energy stored in consumer biomass after accounting for respiratory loss.
- 14. The total amount of solar energy fixed by producers into chemical energy.
- 15. The position an organism or group of organisms occupies in a food chain.
- 18. A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the interaction.
- 20. A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions (e.g., tundra, desert, tropical rainforest).