Ecology

These marine ecosystems are built by calcium carbonate structures secreted by small polyps. They support incredible biodiversity and are often called the rainforests of the sea. Threatened by ocean acidification and rising temperatures, they experience bleaching when stressed. Found primarily in warm, shallow tropical waters, they form barriers, atolls, and fringing types. , name these marine ecosystems.

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This describes how energy moves from one living thing to another when they eat each other. Energy flows from the sun to plants to animals that eat plants. , name this flow of energy through living things.

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Anthropologists at Tel-Aviv University analyzed Stone Age farming data to argue that early humans once belonged to this ecological category before the advent of agriculture. The Anomalocaris, one of the most fearsome creatures of the Cambrian seas over 500 million years ago, is considered one of the earliest known members of this group. Nearly all shark species and the world's largest living reptile, the saltwater crocodile, are classified under this term. These organisms occupy the highest trophic level in any ecosystem, meaning no other creature hunts them as prey. , what is the biological term for an organism that sits at the very top of its food chain with no natural predators?

Hint: Think 'apex' meaning peak — these animals are the unchallenged rulers at the top of every food chain.

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Gleason and Clements proposed competing models of this process, disagreeing sharply on whether it always converges toward a single climax community. This process is divided into allogenic and autogenic forms based on whether abiotic or biotic forces are the primary drivers of change. Pioneer species are the first colonizers to establish themselves during this process, giving way to a series of intermediate seral communities over time. The secondary form of this process is triggered by disturbances such as forest fires or floods, which reset an already-established ecosystem. , name this gradual, directional change in species composition and community structure within a given area over time.

Hint: Think of a burned forest slowly rebuilding from bare ground to pioneer weeds to shrubs to full canopy — that stepwise community replacement is ecological succession.

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These living things break down dead plants and animals and help them rot away. Mushrooms and bacteria [[bak-TEER-ee-uh]] are examples of these recyclers. , name these living things that break down dead things.

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