Ecosystem Structure and Function Quiz

Ecosystem Structure and Function

• Biotic Factors: Living components: producers (autotrophs), consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores), decomposers (bacteria, fungi).
• Abiotic Factors: Non-living components: climate, soil, water, nutrients.
• Food Chains/Webs and Trophic Levels: Energy transfer follows the 10% rule.
• Energy Flow: Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is total energy captured by producers, Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is energy available after respiration. Ecosystems vary in efficiency (e.g., rainforests vs. deserts).

Biogeochemical Cycles

• Carbon Cycle: Involves photosynthesis, respiration, fossil fuels, and ocean absorption.
• Nitrogen Cycle: Includes nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.
• Phosphorus Cycle: Primarily driven by rock weathering; no gaseous phase; linked with fertilizer use.
• Water Cycle: Processes like evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, and runoff.

Ecosystem Services

• Ecosystem services are categorized as provisioning (e.g. food), regulating (e.g. climate), supporting (e.g. nutrient cycling), and cultural.

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity Levels: Include genetic diversity (variation within species), species diversity (variety of species), and ecosystem diversity (range of habitats and communities).
• Ecosystem Services: Biodiversity enhances resilience and human needs.
• Natural Disruptions: Examples include volcanoes, earthquakes, and wildfires.
• Human Impacts: These include habitat destruction, invasive species, overharvesting, pollution, and climate change.
• Island Biogeography: Island size and distance from the mainland influence species richness. Larger, closer islands typically support more species.

Ecological Succession

• Primary Succession: Colonization of barren areas (e.g., lava flows).
• Secondary Succession: Recovery after a disturbance (e.g., farming, fires).

Population Dynamics

• Population characteristics: Size, density, distribution, sex ratio, and age structure.
• Population Growth: Exponential (J-curve) versus logistic (S-curve) growth; carrying capacity.
• Reproductive Strategies: r-selected species (high reproduction, low survival) vs. K-selected species (low reproduction, high survival).
• Survivorship Curves: Illustrate patterns of survival throughout a species' life span (Types I, II, III).

Human Population

• Growth Trends: Population growth patterns and the demographic transition model (pre-industrial to post-industrial).
• Factors: Fertility rates, doubling time (rule of 70), urbanization impacts.

Earth Systems and Resources

• Earth's Systems: The lithosphere (rock), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), biosphere (life).
• Plate Tectonics: Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries; associated with volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain formation.
• Soil Systems: Soil horizons (O, A, B, C); soil texture (sand, silt, clay); permeability and fertility. Soil conservation practices (contour plowing, terracing, crop rotation).
• Atmosphere: Layers (troposphere, stratosphere); weather vs. climate; El Niño/La Niña effects.
• Water Resources: Freshwater availability, aquifers, overdraft (e.g., Ogallala Aquifer), watershed management.

Land and Water Use

• Agriculture: Industrial vs. subsistence farming; monoculture impacts, soil degradation, and sustainable practices.
• Forestry: Clear-cutting vs. selective logging; deforestation effects; sustainable practices.
• Mining: Surface (strip) and subsurface mining; environmental effects.
• Urban Development: Urban sprawl, heat islands, waste management, smart growth principles.
• Fishing and Aquaculture: Overfishing impacts, sustainable fishing methods, aquaculture pros and cons.

Test your knowledge on the interactions within ecosystems, including the roles of biotic and abiotic factors. Explore food chains, energy flow, and biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how these systems function and sustain life.