Ecology and Ecosystems Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is an ecosystem?

A collection of all the living and nonliving things in a given area.

How is ecology defined?

The study of the interactions between living organisms and their environments.

What is a community in ecology?

Organisms from multiple species interacting in the same place.

What is the difference between a community and an ecosystem?

A community includes interacting populations without their surrounding environment, while an ecosystem includes the surrounding environment. Signup and view all the answers

What role does a wolf play when it eats a rabbit that eats grass?

Consumer. Signup and view all the answers

What role does grass play in the food chain that includes a wolf and a rabbit?

Producer. Signup and view all the answers

What are some abiotic factors within an ecosystem?

Nutrients, energy, fire. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem?

Amount of moss available to the consumers. Signup and view all the answers

Why is photosynthesis limited to surface water in marine ecosystems?

Visible light cannot penetrate deeply into the ocean, even when the water is clear. Signup and view all the answers

What does a dispersion pattern refer to in ecology?

The spacing of organisms throughout a habitat. Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the model of maximum rate of population growth?

Exponential. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a producer in an aquatic ecosystem?

Phytoplankton. Signup and view all the answers

What largely defines terrestrial biomes?

The plants that live there. Signup and view all the answers

What primarily influences the distribution of terrestrial biomes on Earth?

Both temperature and rainfall. Signup and view all the answers

What is a savanna?

A biome characterized by a warm, fairly dry climate that primarily contains grasses with scattered, isolated trees. Signup and view all the answers

Which biome is best adapted to seasonal fires?

Chaparral. Signup and view all the answers

What type of large animals are commonly found in the savanna?

Large herbivores like elephants. Signup and view all the answers

Why are there no large trees in the tundra?

The ground is frozen all year. Signup and view all the answers

In which zone does light reach organisms?

Photic zone. Signup and view all the answers

What do phytoplankton and multicellular algae provide in the photic zone?

Food for the animal community. Signup and view all the answers

What is the aphotic zone?

Light levels are too low to support photosynthesis. Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the sea floor?

Benthic realm. Signup and view all the answers

What do fishes and marine mammals swim in?

Pelagic realm. Signup and view all the answers

What is a distinctive biome called?

Estuary. Signup and view all the answers

Where is an estuary found?

Where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean. Signup and view all the answers

What primarily defines aquatic biomes?

Their salinity. Signup and view all the answers

What biome has organisms that attach to the substrate to avoid desiccation?

The intertidal zone. Signup and view all the answers

Where would a coral reef most likely be found?

In the oceanic photic zone. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ecosystems and Ecology

An ecosystem consists of living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) elements in a specified area.
Ecology studies the interactions between living organisms and their environments.
A community comprises multiple species interacting in a specific location, excluding their environment.
The main difference between a community and an ecosystem is that the latter includes the surrounding environment.

Food Webs and Energy Flow

In a food chain example, a wolf is classified as a consumer while grass is identified as a producer.
Producers, such as phytoplankton, convert light energy through photosynthesis to create food.
Abiotic factors within an ecosystem include nutrients, energy, and fire, while biotic factors relate to living components, like moss.

Marine Ecosystems

Photosynthesis is limited to surface waters in marine ecosystems due to insufficient visible light penetration in deeper waters.
The photic zone is where light penetrates and supports photosynthetic organisms such as phytoplankton and algae, providing food for various marine species.
In contrast, the aphotic zone lacks sufficient light to support photosynthesis.

Biomes and Their Characteristics

Terrestrial biomes are largely defined by the types of plants inhabiting them.
The distribution of these biomes is influenced predominantly by temperature and rainfall levels.
Savannas feature a warm climate with grasses and scattered trees, while chaparral is adapted to seasonal fires.
The tundra biome lacks large trees because the ground remains frozen throughout the year.

Aquatic Biomes

Aquatic biomes are primarily categorized by salinity levels.
The benthic realm refers to the sea floor, while the pelagic realm covers open water inhabited by fish and marine mammals.
Estuaries occur where freshwater streams merge with the ocean and can be vital for various marine organisms.

Ecological Zones

An intertidal zone supports organisms that have developed mechanisms to attach to surfaces and resist drying out.
Coral reefs are typically found within the oceanic photic zone, where light allows for rich biodiversity.

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Description

Test your knowledge on ecosystems, ecology, and food webs. Explore the interactions between biotic and abiotic components and understand energy flow within different ecosystems. This quiz covers the concepts essential for understanding marine environments and ecological dynamics.