Ecology Basics and Energy Flow
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary source of energy for most living organisms?

  • Decomposers
  • The sun (correct)
  • Water
  • Detritivores

Which of the following is a characteristic of producers?

  • They primarily eat waste materials.
  • They consume other organisms for energy.
  • They rely on detritivores for nutrients.
  • They convert their own energy from the sun. (correct)

What do herbivores primarily eat?

  • Both plants and meat
  • Other animals
  • Plants (correct)
  • Waste materials

What process do plants use to create food from sunlight?

<p>Photosynthesis (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a decomposer?

<p>An organism that breaks down dead organic material (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do consumers obtain their energy?

<p>From other organisms (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do detritivores play in an ecosystem?

<p>They consume remains of dead plants and animals. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of consumer?

<p>Decomposer (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?

<p>To convert solar energy into chemical energy (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best describes the main difference between consumers and decomposers?

<p>Consumers eat living organisms while decomposers break down dead matter (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In terms of energy flow, which statement accurately represents the relationship among producers, consumers, and decomposers?

<p>Energy flows from producers to consumers, then to decomposers (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which group of organisms would be classified as detritivores?

<p>Worms that consume decomposing plant and animal matter (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines an organism as a heterotroph?

<p>It obtains energy by consuming other organisms (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes organisms that derive energy from the remains of dead organisms?

<p>Detritivores (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of decomposers in an ecosystem?

<p>To break down waste and recycle nutrients (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes a carnivore?

<p>An organism that primarily eats meat (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the features of an ecosystem as described in the content?

<p>The interaction between biotic and abiotic components (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes a characteristic of a community?

<p>Encompasses diverse populations of different species in a specific area (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which best describes the relationship of earthworms to soil?

<p>Earthworms improve soil quality while relying on it as a habitat (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a desert ecosystem, which components are considered abiotic?

<p>High temperatures and sunlight (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key differentiator between a community and an ecosystem in ecological terms?

<p>An ecosystem includes interactions of biotic and abiotic factors, whereas a community focuses solely on biotic factors (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a keystone species and why is it significant in an ecosystem?

<p>A species that has a disproportionate impact on its ecosystem despite its abundance. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples illustrates a biotic-abiotic relationship?

<p>Fish using water for oxygen and movement. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of ecological food chains, what does a tertiary consumer primarily do?

<p>Preys on other secondary consumers. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a food web compared to a food chain?

<p>A food web represents multiple interconnected energy pathways. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following animals is classified as a quaternary consumer in the given examples of a marine ecosystem?

<p>Killer whales (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to a kelp forest ecosystem if sea otters are removed?

<p>Kelp forests may collapse due to overgrazing by sea urchins. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do honeybees play in their ecosystem?

<p>They are pollinators that support plant reproduction. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the presence of wolves in Yellowstone have on vegetation?

<p>Wolves help control deer and elk populations, allowing plant growth. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

Producer (Autotroph)

An organism that makes its own food using energy, often from the sun. Plants are producers.

Photosynthesis

The process where plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into food (sugars).

Consumer (Heterotroph)

An organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms.

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Herbivore

An animal that only eats plants.

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Carnivore

An animal that only eats other animals.

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Omnivore

An animal that eats both plants and animals.

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Detritivore

An organism that feeds on dead organic matter.

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Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Energy flows from the sun to producers (plants) to consumers (animals) and eventually back into the environment.

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Producers

Organisms that make their own food using energy, often from the sun, through a process called photosynthesis.

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Consumers

Organisms that get their energy by consuming other organisms.

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Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem compared to its abundance. Removing a keystone species can lead to drastic changes or ecosystem collapse.

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Sea Otter Example

Sea otters control sea urchin populations, preventing them from overgrazing kelp forests. This maintains the kelp forest habitat and supports diverse life.

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Beaver Example

Beavers build dams, altering water flow and creating wetlands. These wetlands support a variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

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Food Chain

A linear sequence of energy flow, where organisms at each level consume the level below them. Energy flows from producers to primary consumers, and so on.

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Food Web

A more complex interconnected network of energy flow. Organisms can have multiple food sources, leading to complex relationships.

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Phytoplankton

Producers at the base of many marine food webs. They convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis.

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Biotic Factor

A living component of an ecosystem, such as a plant, animal, or microorganism.

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Abiotic Factor

A non-living component of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, or temperature.

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Community

All the different populations of species living and interacting in a specific area.

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Ecosystem

A community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with their non-living environment (abiotic).

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What's the difference between a community and an ecosystem?

A community is just the living organisms, while an ecosystem includes both the living organisms and their environment.

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Study Notes

Ecology Basics

  • Ecology studies how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
  • It includes the study of marine and terrestrial habitats.
  • It also examines global processes like weather.
  • Interactions, such as predation and pollination, are part of ecology.

Energy and Living Things

  • All living things need energy for movement, eating, growth, and reproduction.
  • Energy mostly comes from the sun.
  • Energy flows through ecosystems, starting with the sun, then producers, and finally consumers.

Producers (Autotrophs)

  • Producers convert their own energy.
  • Plants are producers that use sunlight to make food through photosynthesis.
  • Photosynthesis is the process of converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to glucose and oxygen.

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

  • Consumers get energy from other sources.
  • Animals are consumers.
  • Herbivores eat plants for energy.
  • Carnivores eat other animals for energy.
  • Omnivores eat both plants and animals.

Detritivores and Decomposers

  • Detritivores eat dead plants and animals.
  • Decomposers break down materials into smaller molecules, which they eat, and return nutrients to the ecosystem.

Food Chains

  • Energy is transferred when organisms eat each other.
  • Arrows illustrate energy flow from prey to predator.
  • All food chains begin with producers and end with top consumers.
  • All levels connect with decomposers, as everything eventually dies.

Food Webs

  • Food webs are networks of multiple food chains within an ecosystem.
  • Different organisms interact in complex ways as they feed on and are fed upon.
  • Examples of organisms in a food web are grass, crickets, mice, frogs, raccoons, weasels, hawks.

Trophic Levels

  • Each step in a food chain or web is a trophic level.
  • Level 1: Producers (autotrophs)
  • Level 2: Primary Consumers (herbivores)
  • Level 3: Secondary Consumers (carnivores or omnivores)
  • Level 4: Tertiary Consumers (usually top carnivore)

The Soil Food Web

  • Soil food webs are intricate networks of organisms, including plants, roots, fungi, bacteria, nematodes, arthropods, and others that interact in a complex web of feeding relationships.
  • The soil food web is crucial to nutrient cycling and maintaining soil health.

Keystone Species

  • Keystone species are crucial to their ecosystems, as their removal often causes large-scale, detrimental impacts on the ecosystem.
  • Removal can cause an ecosystem to collapse partially, or entirely.

Kelp Forests and Sea Otters

  • Kelp forests are highly productive ecosystems, important in soaking up carbon.
  • Sea otters are keystone predators of sea urchins.
  • Sea urchins are a significant threat to kelp forests, and an increase in their population can quickly result in the devastation of a kelp forest.

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Ecosystem Interactions PDF

Description

This quiz covers the fundamentals of ecology, including how organisms interact with each other and their environments. It also explores the roles of producers and consumers in energy flow within ecosystems. Test your knowledge on photosynthesis, energy sources, and ecological interactions.

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