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Questions and Answers
What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
What is the primary characteristic of autotrophs?
What is the primary characteristic of autotrophs?
In a food web, what eventually happens to consumers at the highest level?
In a food web, what eventually happens to consumers at the highest level?
What is the primary source of energy for producers in a tropical rain forest?
What is the primary source of energy for producers in a tropical rain forest?
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What is the term for the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment?
What is the term for the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment?
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What term describes the network of all species interacting in a specific location?
What term describes the network of all species interacting in a specific location?
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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 is the definition of a tertiary consumer?
What is the definition of a tertiary consumer?
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What is the primary difference between a food chain and a food web?
What is the primary difference between a food chain and a food web?
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What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
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What is the characteristic of energy flow through ecosystems?
What is the characteristic of energy flow through ecosystems?
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What is the starting point of a food chain?
What is the starting point of a food chain?
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What is the primary direction of energy flow in an ecosystem?
What is the primary direction of energy flow in an ecosystem?
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What percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
What percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
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Why is the transfer of energy in an ecosystem referred to as energy flow, not energy cycling?
Why is the transfer of energy in an ecosystem referred to as energy flow, not energy cycling?
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What happens to the energy that is not transferred to the next trophic level?
What happens to the energy that is not transferred to the next trophic level?
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What is the term for the amount of energy available to the next trophic level?
What is the term for the amount of energy available to the next trophic level?
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Why is it impossible for an organism to obtain all of the energy from its food source?
Why is it impossible for an organism to obtain all of the energy from its food source?
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Study Notes
Types of Heterotrophs
- Heterotrophs are consumers that obtain energy by consuming other organisms
- Scavengers/Detritivores feed on the tissue of dead organisms (both plants and animals)
- Examples of Scavengers/Detritivores: Vultures, Crows, and Shrimp
- Decomposers absorb any dead material and break it down into simple nutrients or fertilizers
- Examples of Decomposers: Bacteria and Fungi
Decomposers
- Decomposers break down nutrients in the dead material and return it to the soil
- Producers can then use the nutrients and elements once it's in the soil
- Decomposers complete the ecosystem, returning essential molecules to the producers
Ecological Classification
- Ecologically speaking, grasses are classified as producers
- Deer are classified as consumers
Essential Components of an Ecosystem
- Two groups that are absolutely essential to the functioning of an ecosystem: Producers and Decomposers
Energy Source for Producers
- Producers obtain energy from the sun
Requirements for Autotrophs
- Autotrophs require energy, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the environment to make their own food
Food Webs
- Energy flows from one organism to another when it is eaten
- Each step in this transfer of energy is known as a trophic level
- The main trophic levels are producers, consumers, and decomposers
- The flow of energy through ecosystems is linear
- Energy flow occurs in food chains
Food Chains
- A food chain is a simple and direct energy flow from one trophic level to the other
- Food chains always start with a plant
- Example of a food chain: Lettuce is eaten by the slug, the slug is eaten by the bird
Food Webs
- A food web is a more complex and interconnected network of food chains in an ecosystem
- Most organisms eat more than just one organism
- Food webs are more complex and involve lots of organisms
Trophic Level
- Energy flow is linear, or one-way, in ecosystems
- Energy can move along a food web from one trophic level to the next trophic level as long as it is not used to do biological work
- Once energy has been used by an organism, it is lost as heat and is unavailable to any other organism in the ecosystem
Transfer of Energy
- When a zebra eats the grass, it does not obtain all of the energy the grass has
- When a lion eats a zebra, it does not get all of the energy from the zebra
- Only 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next
- This is called the 10% law
Energy Loss in a Food Chain
- Only 10% of energy is passed along to the next level in a food chain
- The rest of the energy is lost through waste, heat, movement, and respiration
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Description
Identify the different roles in an ecosystem, including producers, consumers, scavengers, decomposers and their functions in the nutrient cycle.
