Earth's Ecosystem

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of forests in maintaining the earth's temperature?

Regulating the earth's temperature (correct)

Producing oxygen

Supporting aquatic life

Absorbing carbon dioxide

What type of ecosystem is characterized by the absence of trees and scarce rainfall?

Grassland ecosystem

Desert ecosystem

Tundra ecosystem (correct)

Aquatic ecosystem

What is the source of energy for all plant life on earth?

Soil

Water

The sun (correct)

Air

What is the term for the flow of energy from a producer to a consumer and eventually to an apex predator or detritivore?

Food chain Signup and view all the answers

What type of ecosystem includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands?

Freshwater ecosystem Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between freshwater and marine ecosystems?

Salt content Signup and view all the answers

What type of ecosystem is characterized by hot days and cold nights, with scarce vegetation?

Desert ecosystem Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which plants synthesize their food using light energy?

Photosynthesis Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of scavengers in an ecosystem?

To break down dead and decaying matter Signup and view all the answers

Who is credited with describing the ecological pyramid and its principles?

Charles Elton Signup and view all the answers

What is the base of the ecological pyramid comprised of?

Producers Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the graphical representation of the number, energy, and biomass of the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem?

Ecological pyramid Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of reducers in an ecosystem?

To liberate molecules to the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a network of interconnected food chains?

Food web Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the variety of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in an ecosystem?

Biodiversity Signup and view all the answers

In what year was the term 'biodiversity' first used?

1985 Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the interactions between organisms and their environment?

Ecosystem Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of an ecosystem's structure?

Both biotic and abiotic components are present Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary source of food for primary consumers?

Producers Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis?

Autotrophs Signup and view all the answers

What type of consumers depend on secondary consumers for energy?

Tertiary consumers Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the process by which plants produce their own food?

Photosynthesis Signup and view all the answers

What is the category of biotic components that includes organisms that break down dead organic matter?

Saprotrophs Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of an ecosystem that allows energy and components to flow throughout its boundaries?

Open system Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of decomposers in an ecosystem?

To recycle nutrients for plants to reuse Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of apex predators in an ecosystem?

They are usually at the top of a food chain Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of abiotic components in an ecosystem?

To synthesize organic components Signup and view all the answers

What is the process of breakdown of dead organic material called?

Decomposition Signup and view all the answers

What is the sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic level to another called?

Energy flow Signup and view all the answers

What refers to the rate of biomass production in an ecosystem?

Productivity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic components?

Nutrient cycling Signup and view all the answers

What is the size range of an ecosystem?

From small, like an oasis in a desert, to large, like an ocean Signup and view all the answers

What is the main aspect of biodiversity that it addresses?

The variety found in nature Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of biodiversity in our daily lives?

It gives us food, shelter, energy, and other necessities Signup and view all the answers

What type of biodiversity refers to the differences between an organism's genetic resources?

Species Biodiversity Signup and view all the answers

What is the most fundamental level of biodiversity?

Species Biodiversity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the variation seen between different ecosystems found in a given area?

Ecological Biodiversity Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of understanding biodiversity in achieving a sustainable way of life?

It is crucial Signup and view all the answers

What is the economic value of biodiversity?

It reaps financial rewards from tourism Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the diversity of species found in a given location?

Species Diversity Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a structural and functional unit of ecology where living organisms interact with each other and the surrounding environment.
The term "Ecosystem" was first coined by A.G. Tansley, an English botanist, in 1935.

Structure of the Ecosystem

The structure of an ecosystem is characterized by the organization of both biotic and abiotic components.
Biotic components refer to all living components in an ecosystem, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Abiotic components are the non-living components of an ecosystem, including air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, and nutrients.

Biotic Components

Producers include all autotrophs, such as plants, which produce food through photosynthesis.
Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food, including primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.
Decomposers include saprophytes, such as fungi and bacteria, which directly thrive on dead and decaying organic matter.

Functions of Ecosystem

Ecosystems regulate essential ecological processes, support life systems, and render stability.
Ecosystems are responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic components.
Ecosystems maintain a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
Ecosystems cycle minerals through the biosphere.

Types of Ecosystem

Desert Ecosystem: found in regions with little rainfall and scarce vegetation.
Forest Ecosystem: consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals, and microorganisms that live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment.
Grassland Ecosystem: dominated by grasses and herbs.
Tundra Ecosystem: found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce, covered with snow for most of the year.
Aquatic Ecosystem: includes freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Freshwater Ecosystem

An aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
Has no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem.

Marine Ecosystem

Includes seas and oceans.
Has a more substantial salt content and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.

Important Ecological Concepts

Food Chain: the flow of energy from a producer, to a consumer, and eventually, to an apex predator or a detritivore.
Ecological Pyramid: a graphical representation of the number, energy, and biomass of the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem.
Food Web: a network of interconnected food chains that helps in understanding that plants lay the foundation of all food chains.

Biodiversity

The most intricate and significant characteristic of our planet.
Refers to the diversity found in nature, including the diversity of species, genetic diversity, and ecological diversity.
Types of biodiversity:
- Genetic Biodiversity: the diversity of species found in a given location, representing biodiversity at its most fundamental level.
- Species Biodiversity: the differences between an organism's genetic resources.
- Ecological Biodiversity: a collection of living and non-living things and their interactions with one another, making up an ecosystem.

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Description

Explore the concept of ecosystem, its structure, and the interactions between living organisms and their environment.