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Questions and Answers
What is the primary source of energy for an ecosystem?
What is the primary source of energy for an ecosystem?
Which of the following organisms are responsible for converting inorganic matter into organic matter?
Which of the following organisms are responsible for converting inorganic matter into organic matter?
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
Which of the following organisms are considered primary consumers?
Which of the following organisms are considered primary consumers?
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How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
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What is the main role of photosynthesis in an ecosystem?
What is the main role of photosynthesis in an ecosystem?
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Which of the following is NOT a biotic component of an ecosystem?
Which of the following is NOT a biotic component of an ecosystem?
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Which of the following is an example of a tertiary consumer?
Which of the following is an example of a tertiary consumer?
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What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?
What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?
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Which of the following accurately describes decomposers?
Which of the following accurately describes decomposers?
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What happens to the energy that is bound within organic molecules during decomposition?
What happens to the energy that is bound within organic molecules during decomposition?
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How are ecosystems interdependent on one another?
How are ecosystems interdependent on one another?
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Which step follows the death of producers and consumers in an ecosystem's energy flow?
Which step follows the death of producers and consumers in an ecosystem's energy flow?
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What is the initial source of energy that sustains all living organisms in an ecosystem?
What is the initial source of energy that sustains all living organisms in an ecosystem?
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What best characterizes secondary producers in an ecosystem?
What best characterizes secondary producers in an ecosystem?
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What is the main function of saprophytic microbes in an ecosystem?
What is the main function of saprophytic microbes in an ecosystem?
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How are nutrients cycled within an ecosystem?
How are nutrients cycled within an ecosystem?
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What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?
What is the primary role of producers in an ecosystem?
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What distinguishes the flow of energy in an ecosystem?
What distinguishes the flow of energy in an ecosystem?
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Which organisms obtain molecules by digesting other organisms?
Which organisms obtain molecules by digesting other organisms?
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Which of the following is considered a primary consumer in an ecosystem?
Which of the following is considered a primary consumer in an ecosystem?
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What describes nutrient cycling in an ecosystem?
What describes nutrient cycling in an ecosystem?
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What happens to energy as it moves through different trophic levels in an ecosystem?
What happens to energy as it moves through different trophic levels in an ecosystem?
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Which organisms are primarily responsible for breaking down dead organic material?
Which organisms are primarily responsible for breaking down dead organic material?
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What is the main source of energy for consumers in an ecosystem?
What is the main source of energy for consumers in an ecosystem?
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Study Notes
Ecosystem Operation
- The principal steps in ecosystem operation involve the production, growth, and death of living components, as well as the influence on abiotic aspects of the habitat.
- There is a transfer of energy and nutrients from producers to consumers and finally to decomposers and transformers, with a progressive decrease of energy but no diminishment of nutrients, showing cycling from abiotic to biotic and vice versa.
- Energy flow is unidirectional, and mineral cycling involves interaction between biotic and abiotic components, lying at the heart of ecosystem dynamics.
Ecosystem Components
- The biotic community of an ecosystem can be divided into producers, consumers, and decomposers.
- Producers or autotrophs make their own organic material from simple inorganic substances, with photosynthetic plants and algae being the main producers.
- Consumers or heterotrophs obtain molecules by eating or digesting other organisms, gaining both food and nutrient molecules.
- Decomposers break down complex organic molecules, liberating inorganic components into the environment.
Producer, Consumer, and Decomposer Roles
- Producers synthesize glucose from carbon dioxide and water, providing energy for non-photosynthesizing organisms.
- Consumers eat other organisms, gaining food and nutrient molecules, with herbivores as primary consumers, and carnivores as secondary consumers.
- Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down dead organic matter, releasing inorganic components into the environment.
Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling
- Energy from the sun is fixed by plants and transferred to animal components.
- Nutrients are withdrawn from the substrate, deposited in tissues, cycled from one feeding group to another, released by decomposition, and recycled.
- Ecosystems operating in different habitats are interdependent, with energy and nutrients flowing between them.
Ecosystem Structure and Function
- An ecosystem consists of inorganic constituents, organisms, and energy input from outside (the sun).
- These components interact to form an environmental system, with inorganic constituents synthesized into organic structures by green plants through photosynthesis.
- Green plants become the source of energy for herbivores, which in turn become the source of energy for carnivores.
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Description
This quiz covers the principal steps in ecosystem operation, including energy and nutrient transfer between producers, consumers, decomposers, and transformers. It explores the cycling of nutrients and the decrease in energy throughout the process.
