yes

yes, but maybe a bit more detailed,

with the names of the species
yes, also make sure to understand
the graphs and be able to explain
them
 SELF TEST 5
Munyaradzi Mamwa

1. The hierarchical organization of systems in ecology; Individual, species, population,

community, ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere.

2. Abiotic factors are; climate factor, chemical factor, physical factor and mechanical factor.
biotic environmental factors are: Living habitat structures, predators, food availability,
symbionts, competitors.

Anthropogenic environmental factor is the application of synthetically produced substances

to the environment, they can biotic or abiotic e.g.

• Land use practise through ploughing fields or mowing

• • Artificial enrichment of natural substances to damaging levels (e.g. SO2,
CO2 , plant nutrients (N,P), NOx )
• Water withdrawal by forming dams which would change the course of the
river and speed of the current.
3. poly- eurythermal fish would cope better with climate change because it can live under a
more varied temperature range than the oligo-stenothermal. yes
4. Ecological Niche of a species is where different environmental factors intersect to create the
perfect habitat for a particular species to thrive. yes
5. The environmental factor that is shortest in supply dominates the effects of other
environmental factors and limits the existence or vitality of an organism. Environmental
factors also become limiting when they reach the maximum tolerance range. yes
6. I would look at the limiting factor and increase that if possible e.g. if nitrogen is the limiting
factor I would add nitrogen fertilizer to increase my yield, if its water I would use an irrigation
system and not just wait for rainfall. yes
7. Availability of indicator species in an ecosystem indicate specific qualitative status of the
environment.
• use of lichens to asses air quality, Usnea filipendula = good air, whereas
Rhizocarpon geographicum = acidification.
yes • Use of benthic invertebrates to assess water quality. Plecoptera species=
Good water quality Tubifex species= Low oxygen, Ephemera Danica =
Siltation
• Worms - Changes in the functioning of the nervous systems of worms are
used to measure levels of soil pollution. The numbers of earthworms in the
soil can also be used to indicate the health of the soil.
8. example of;
• commensalism – scavengers feeding on caucuses of dead animals e,g, vultures
• mutualism – Ox peckers feeding on skin parasites of large mammals like buffaloes
• eusymbiosis - Lichens are composed of a fungi and an algae partner. The fungi
provides protection from desiccation, the algae provides sugar from photosynthesis

Difference between the three is that in a commensalism the host is not affected by the actions of the
scavenger, in a mutualism both parties benefit and the relationship is optional but in a eusymbiosis
where two or more species live together, the relationship is vital to their existence as one cannot live
without the other.
yes
9. food chain length and productivity of the ecosystem linked by the energy lost at each trophic
level which is at 90 percent, the reasons for such a huge loss in energy are: Three reasons for
inefficient energy transfer: 1) Inefficient feeding: A part of the food falls to the ground during
feeding or is left over 2) A part of the energy contained in the food is not extracted during
digestion, excreted as faeces, urine 3) Metabolic needs of each organism: energy need for
basic metabolism, foraging, escape from predators, mating, etc.
10. it is more sustainable to feed the worlds human population based on rice than on meat
because this would drop us down from a trophic level 4 consumer to a trophic level 2
primary consumer feeding directly from the primary producer.
11. properties of a stable environmental state are: Resilience which is Capacity of the ecosystem
to self-organize and get back to its original state, and Succession which Temporal
development of ecosystems towards its climax condition. When the resilience is decreased,
ecosystems can be pushed into alternative state.