21 Questions
What are the two processes that cannot be fully described by population or community processes and phenomena in an ecosystem?
Energy flow and chemical cycling
How does energy enter most ecosystems?
In the form of sunlight
What happens to the energy dissipated by heterotrophs in an ecosystem?
It is dissipated as heat
How do ecosystems differ in the flow of energy and matter?
Energy flows through ecosystems, while matter cycles within them
What do ecosystem ecologists view ecosystems as?
Transformers of energy and processors of matter
According to the law of conservation of energy, what does it state?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed but only transformed
What are the two processes that cannot be fully described by population or community processes and phenomena in an ecosystem?
Energy flow and chemical cycling
How is energy converted to chemical energy in most ecosystems?
By the transformation of sunlight
According to the law of conservation of energy, what happens to energy in an ecosystem?
It cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed
What do ecosystem ecologists view ecosystems as?
Transformers of energy and processors of matter
What do plants and other photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy to?
Chemical energy
What is the role of detritivores in an ecosystem?
They transfer chemical elements from abiotic reservoirs to producers
What is the main function of autotrophs in an ecosystem?
To synthesize organic compounds using light energy
What is the primary source of energy for most autotrophs in ecosystems?
Light energy
What is the role of heterotrophs in an ecosystem?
To depend on the photosynthetic output of primary producers
What do detritivores primarily feed on in an ecosystem?
Organic material such as dead organisms and fallen leaves
What determines the spending limit of an entire ecosystem?
The amount of photosynthetic production
Which organisms are the primary producers in deep-sea hydrothermal vents?
Chemosynthetic prokaryotes
What is the role of decomposers in making chemical elements available to producers in an ecosystem?
They decompose organic material and transfer chemical elements in inorganic forms to abiotic reservoirs
What do primary consumers depend on for their energy in an ecosystem?
Photosynthetic output of primary producers
What is an ecosystem's primary production?
The amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by autotrophs
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