Ecology and Biogeochemical Cycles Quiz

Study Notes

Energy flows through food chains, but most of it is lost as heat, with only a small percentage being passed on to the next trophic level.
Trophic levels are the different stages of energy transfer in a food chain, from producers to top carnivores.
Energy pyramids, biomass pyramids, and number pyramids all show the decrease in energy, biomass, and number of organisms as you move up the trophic levels.

The water cycle involves the continuous movement of water between the Earth and the atmosphere.
Water has unique properties, such as adhesion, cohesion, and polarity, which allow it to play a crucial role in many biological processes.
Water has a high specific heat capacity, making it a universal solvent and allowing it to regulate Earth's temperature.

Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, contribute to the disruption of biogeochemical cycles, such as the carbon and phosphorus cycles.
The carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
The phosphorus cycle involves the movement of phosphorus through the environment, with a key role played by bacteria.
Ammonification and denitrification are important processes in the nitrogen cycle, involving the conversion of ammonia to nitrate and the reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas.

Biotic factors, such as living organisms, and abiotic factors, such as temperature and light, interact to shape ecosystems.
Communities, populations, and ecosystems are all levels of organization in ecology, with niche referring to the specific role of an organism in its environment.
Cyanobacteria are a group of bacteria that play a key role in the oxygenation of the Earth's atmosphere.

Darwin's theory of evolution proposes that species change over time through the process of natural selection.
Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics is an alternative to Darwin's theory.
Artificial selection, such as selective breeding, can lead to changes in species over time.
Variation in populations is a key component of natural selection, with mutation being a source of new variation.
Evidence from embryology, analogy, homology, and fossil records supports Darwin's theory.

Taxonomic levels, from Domain to Species, are used to classify organisms based on their evolutionary relationships.
Binomial nomenclature is a system of naming species using a two-part name, consisting of a genus and species.
Speciation is the process of one species splitting into two or more distinct species.

Manipulated variables are the variables being changed in an experiment, while responding variables are the variables being measured.
Controlled variables are the variables that are kept constant to ensure a fair test.
Gradualism and punctuated equilibrium are two theories that propose different rates of change in evolution.