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Questions and Answers
What does a food web illustrate in an ecosystem?
What does a food web illustrate in an ecosystem?
- The complexity of the nitrogen cycle
- How energy is created
- Only one route of energy transfer
- All possible feeding relationships at each trophic level (correct)
An ecological pyramid can represent how energy flows through an ecosystem.
An ecological pyramid can represent how energy flows through an ecosystem.
True (A)
What do autotrophs represent in the ecological pyramid?
What do autotrophs represent in the ecological pyramid?
The base or first trophic level
The process of cycling elements among living organisms and the abiotic environment is referred to as the ______ cycle.
The process of cycling elements among living organisms and the abiotic environment is referred to as the ______ cycle.
Match the following trophic levels with their roles:
Match the following trophic levels with their roles:
Which of the following statements best describes the second Law of Thermodynamics in the context of energy transfer?
Which of the following statements best describes the second Law of Thermodynamics in the context of energy transfer?
A food chain is more complex than a food web.
A food chain is more complex than a food web.
Identify one role of decomposers in an ecosystem.
Identify one role of decomposers in an ecosystem.
Which process in the water cycle follows evaporation?
Which process in the water cycle follows evaporation?
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert nitrogen gas directly into proteins.
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert nitrogen gas directly into proteins.
What primarily characterizes the tundra ecosystem?
What primarily characterizes the tundra ecosystem?
What role does carbon dioxide (CO2) play in the carbon cycle?
What role does carbon dioxide (CO2) play in the carbon cycle?
Savannas have a forage component that is mainly from grasses that only grow during the wet season.
Savannas have a forage component that is mainly from grasses that only grow during the wet season.
Phosphorus moves through the food web and returns to the soil during __________.
Phosphorus moves through the food web and returns to the soil during __________.
What is the primary difference between steppes and savannas regarding forage availability?
What is the primary difference between steppes and savannas regarding forage availability?
Match the following biogeochemical cycles with their primary characteristics:
Match the following biogeochemical cycles with their primary characteristics:
Which of the following is NOT a step in the water cycle?
Which of the following is NOT a step in the water cycle?
The primary nutrient that both mining and agriculture add to the environment is __________.
The primary nutrient that both mining and agriculture add to the environment is __________.
Match the following types of ecosystems with their characteristics:
Match the following types of ecosystems with their characteristics:
Carbon sinks are areas where carbon is stored for long periods of time.
Carbon sinks are areas where carbon is stored for long periods of time.
What are the primary gases involved in the nitrogen cycle?
What are the primary gases involved in the nitrogen cycle?
Which of the following statements about the freshwater environment is correct?
Which of the following statements about the freshwater environment is correct?
All ecosystems have similar amounts of nutrient availability.
All ecosystems have similar amounts of nutrient availability.
What is a defining characteristic of the oceanic marine environment?
What is a defining characteristic of the oceanic marine environment?
Study Notes
Trophic Levels and Ecological Concepts
- Higher trophic levels are positioned above one another in an ecological hierarchy, forming a pyramid structure.
- Each organism in a food chain represents a feeding step, or trophic level, indicating energy and material transfer.
- A food chain illustrates a single route for matter and energy through an ecosystem, while a food web depicts multiple feeding relationships at each trophic level.
Cycles of Life
- Water Cycle: The hydrologic cycle includes evaporation, condensation, transpiration, and precipitation, maintaining the circular movement of water on Earth.
- Nitrogen Cycle: Essential for producing organic molecules like amino acids; nitrogen is mostly gaseous (N2) in the atmosphere. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert it into ammonia, either living in plant nodules or in soil.
- Carbon Cycle: Carbon cycles through the atmosphere mainly as carbon dioxide (CO2), absorbed by green plants for photosynthesis to create glucose. Carbon can be stored in carbon sinks and is released back through fossil fuel combustion.
- Phosphorus Cycle: Phosphates are released from rock weathering and cycle through the food web, returning to soil during decomposition, with some leaching into groundwater.
Energy Flow in Ecosystems
- Energy flow is vital to ecological understanding; it adheres to the First Law of Thermodynamics (energy is transformed, not created or destroyed) and the Second Law (some energy is lost as heat during transfers).
- An ecological food pyramid illustrates energy flow, with autotrophs forming the base, representing the first trophic level.
Ecosystem Types
- Terrestrial Ecosystems: Land-based environments consisting of various biomes, including grasslands, forests, savannas, and deserts.
- Tundra: A treeless, barren ecosystem with severe cold climates, characterized by short summers, scant snowfall, permafrost soil, and low nutrient availability.
- Aquatic Ecosystems:
- Freshwater: Includes standing-water habitats like lakes and running-water habitats such as rivers.
- Oceanic Marine: Composed of saltwater, broadly divided into shallow continental shelf waters and deeper ocean zones.
Food Chain and Food Web
- A food chain is a simplified model showing nutrient and energy flow from autotrophs to heterotrophs and eventually to decomposers.
- Arrows in food chains indicate energy transfer direction, typically containing 3 to 5 trophic links. A food web offers a more complex view of energy interactions within a community.
Nutrient Cycling
- In self-sustaining ecosystems, nutrients cycle between biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) environments, forming a complex biogeochemical cycle essential for ecosystem health.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the ecology of trophic levels and the essential cycles of life, including the water and nitrogen cycles. This quiz covers the processes involved in these cycles and their significance in ecosystems. Perfect for students studying environmental science or ecology.
