Ecosystems Overview Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What type of consumers are found at the third trophic level?

  • Herbivores
  • Detritivores
  • Producers
  • Carnivores (correct)

Which organisms are primarily responsible for decomposition in land ecosystems?

  • Herbivores
  • Plants
  • Bacteria and fungi (correct)
  • Carnivores

How much energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

  • 20% to 30%
  • 40% to 60%
  • 80% to 95%
  • 5% to 20% (correct)

What describes the more complex path of energy flow in ecosystems?

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

Net primary productivity measures the total amount of energy fixed by which process?

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

Which term refers to the total weight of all organisms in an ecosystem?

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

What happens to energy as it passes through different levels of the ecosystem?

<p>It is lost at each trophic level. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Herbivores are classified as which type of consumers?

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

What percentage of the sun's energy do plants typically convert into their biomass?

<p>1% (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the limited number of top-level carnivores in an ecosystem?

<p>The loss of energy at each trophic level limits support. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements correctly describes the biomass of primary producers compared to higher trophic levels?

<p>It is usually greater than that of higher trophic levels. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How much of the original energy captured by photosynthesis is available to a tertiary consumer?

<p>1/1,000th (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the process of physical components being reused within ecosystems?

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

In an ecosystem, which component has the greatest influence on the living portion?

<p>Water (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which cycle involves water evaporating from plant leaves via transpiration?

<p>Organismic water cycle (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main way water returns to the atmosphere in the environmental water cycle?

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

What role do forests play in the water cycle?

<p>They are the primary source of local rainfall through transpiration. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main issue associated with groundwater in the United States?

<p>Chemical pollution is contributing to its deterioration. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is carbon primarily returned to the atmosphere?

<p>From respiration and combustion. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to carbon when marine organisms die?

<p>It is deposited as calcium carbonate, forming limestone. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of deforestation on local climates?

<p>Decreased humidity and lower chances of rainfall. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one significant way that fossil fuels impact the carbon cycle?

<p>They release carbon back into the atmosphere when burned. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is the water cycle interrupted in areas where forests are removed?

<p>Plant transpiration is decreased, reducing moisture in the atmosphere. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes the process of combustion in relation to the carbon cycle?

<p>It releases carbon stored in fossil fuels back to the atmosphere. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three zones in which organisms live in ponds and lakes?

<p>Littoral, Limnetic, Profundal (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of lake is characterized by abundant minerals and organic matter?

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

What process occurs when deeper waters in a lake rise to the surface in spring and fall?

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

Which characteristic is true of shallow waters?

<p>They have the highest biodiversity of marine species. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

At what temperature is water most dense, causing it to sink?

<p>4°C (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are estuaries known for?

<p>Being partly enclosed bodies of water with intermediate salinities (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the open-sea surface?

<p>It contains a high concentration of phytoplankton. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which zone of a lake is known as the shallow 'edge' where organisms often live?

<p>Littoral zone (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of oligotrophic lakes?

<p>Deep waters rich in oxygen (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a notable feature of deep-sea waters?

<p>They contain few organisms but are diverse. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do some deep-sea inhabitants obtain energy?

<p>From hydrothermal vent systems (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

During thermal stratification, what happens to water that is cooler or warmer than 4°C?

<p>It sinks below warmer water (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What typically occurs during the overturn process in lakes?

<p>Deeper waters mix with surface waters (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best describes freshwater ecosystems?

<p>They include limited areas like lakes and ponds. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do wetlands play in freshwater ecosystems?

<p>They serve as a connection between freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines the primary factor of deep-sea organisms' adaptation?

<p>Their bioluminescence for communication and predation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic defines deciduous forests?

<p>They drop their leaves in the winter. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which description best fits the taiga?

<p>It features many species of coniferous trees. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary feature of the tundra biome?

<p>It contains permafrost typically within 1 meter of the surface. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes chaparral ecosystems?

<p>They are characterized by evergreen, often spiny shrubs. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of polar ice caps?

<p>They lie over both the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of vegetation is primarily found in the tundra?

<p>Low-lying shrubs and grasses. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which type of climate do chaparral ecosystems primarily exist?

<p>Mediterranean with dry summers. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about deciduous forests is true?

<p>They lose their leaves seasonally. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Carnivores

Animals that eat other animals, occupying the third trophic level, and are secondary consumers.

Omnivores

Animals that eat both plants and animals.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead organisms and organic substances into simpler forms.

Detritivores

Consumers that feed on dead organisms.

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Primary productivity

The total amount of light energy converted into organic compounds by producers in an area.

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Net primary productivity

Total energy fixed by photosynthesis minus the energy used by producers for their own metabolism.

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Biomass

The total weight of all living organisms in an ecosystem.

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Food web

A complex pathway of energy flow in an ecosystem, where an individual can feed on different trophic levels.

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What is the water cycle?

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

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What is transpiration?

The process where plants take up water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere as vapor.

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What is an aquifer?

Underground layers of rock, sand, and gravel that hold water.

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What is combustion?

The process of burning wood, fossil fuels, or other organic matter, releasing trapped carbon into the atmosphere.

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What is respiration?

The process where organisms use oxygen to break down food, releasing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

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What is photosynthesis?

The process that removes carbon from the atmosphere and uses it to create organic compounds.

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What is biomagnification?

The buildup of pollutants in organisms at higher trophic levels.

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What is erosion?

The process of breaking down rock and other materials, releasing carbon back into the environment.

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Energy Flow Through Trophic Levels

The amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next is only about 10%, meaning that most energy is lost as heat, limiting the number of organisms at higher levels.

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Pyramid of Energy

Energy transfer through trophic levels is depicted in a pyramid, where the base represents producers and each subsequent level represents consumers; the size of each level reflects the amount of energy available at each level.

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Biogeochemical Cycling

The cycling of essential chemical elements, including nutrients, through living organisms and the physical environment, is called biogeochemical cycling.

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The Water Cycle

Water cycles through ecosystems through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and transpiration.

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Transpiration

Transpiration is the process where plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through tiny pores in their leaves, contributing to the water cycle.

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Evaporation

The process by which water changes from a liquid state to a gas, forming clouds and contributing to the water cycle.

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Precipitation

The process where water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and falls as rain, snow, or other forms of precipitation, replenishing water sources.

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Shallow waters

Areas with high biodiversity located near shorelines where the water is shallow and exposed to the open ocean.

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Intertidal zone

A transition zone between marine and freshwater ecosystems, periodically exposed to air. Often found along coastlines.

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Estuaries

Partly enclosed bodies of water with a mix of freshwater and saltwater, often found at river mouths or coastal bays.

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Open-sea surface

The open ocean surface where sunlight penetrates and supports a high amount of phytoplankton, contributing significantly to global photosynthesis.

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Deep-sea waters

The deepest parts of the ocean with low light and unique adaptations for living in extreme conditions. Many inhabitants are specialized to a local area.

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Bioluminescence

The production of light by living organisms in the deep sea, often used for communication or hunting.

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Autotrophic deep-sea organisms

Organisms that make their own food through energy from hydrothermal vent systems, a unique adaptation to deep-sea environments.

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Freshwater ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, ponds, rivers, and wetlands, with a high level of connection to land ecosystems.

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What are the zones of ponds and lakes?

Three zones found in ponds and lakes: Littoral (shallow edge), Limnetic (open-water surface), and Profundal (deep-water with no light penetration).

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What are oligotrophic lakes?

Lakes that have low levels of nutrients and organic matter, typically deep with oxygen-rich waters.

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What are eutrophic lakes?

Lakes rich in nutrients and organic matter, often shallower with less oxygen at deeper depths.

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What is thermal stratification?

A process where water at 4°C sinks below cooler or warmer water in temperate lakes, leading to layered water temperatures.

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What are overturns in lakes?

Events in the spring and fall where deeper, cold water comes to the surface, mixing nutrients and oxygen, and vice versa.

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What is a biome?

A terrestrial ecosystem characterized by specific climate, plant, and animal communities.

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What is a terrestrial ecosystem?

A type of biome, emphasizing its location and characteristics.

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Temperate Grassland

A biome characterized by broad, open grasslands with few trees, experiencing seasonal fluctuations in temperature, and often found in mid-latitude regions.

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Temperate Deciduous Forest

A biome dominated by trees that lose their leaves in the winter, found in regions with moderate temperatures and precipitation.

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Taiga

A biome found in northern latitudes, characterized by coniferous trees, cold winters, and short growing seasons.

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Tundra

A biome found in the far north, characterized by treeless, often boggy grasslands, permafrost, and harsh, cold conditions.

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Chaparral

A biome characterized by evergreen shrubs and trees adapted to dry summers and mild, wet winters, typically found in coastal regions with Mediterranean climates.

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Polar Ice Caps

The coldest biome on Earth, encompassing the polar regions, characterized by ice sheets and glaciers.

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Tropical Rainforest

A biome with high precipitation and temperatures, leading to dense vegetation and diverse plant life.

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Desert

A biome characterized by dry, desert-like conditions with sparse vegetation, extreme temperatures, and low precipitation.

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Study Notes

Ecosystems

  • Ecosystems are the combination of a community and its habitat
  • A community is a collection of organisms living in a particular place
  • A habitat is the place where a community lives
  • Ecosystems are the most complex level of biological organization
  • Earth is a closed system regarding chemicals but an open system in terms of energy
  • Organisms in ecosystems regulate the capture and expenditure of energy and the cycling of chemicals
  • Producers are autotrophs (e.g., plants, algae, bacteria) that capture energy
  • Consumers are heterotrophs that obtain energy-storing molecules by consuming other organisms
  • Ecologists assign organisms to trophic levels, feeding levels based on the number of consumption stages away from the sun
  • Food energy passes through ecosystems from one trophic level to another
  • A food chain illustrates a simple linear progression of energy transfer
  • Food chains are composed of producers, consumers, and decomposers
  • Decomposers break down dead organisms

Trophic Levels

  • Producers occupy the lowest trophic level
  • Herbivores occupy the second trophic level, consuming producers
  • Carnivores occupy the third trophic level, consuming herbivores
  • Some carnivores eat producers and are labeled omnivores
  • Detritivores are special consumers that eat dead organisms
  • Decomposers break down organic matter
  • Bacteria and fungi are the main decomposers

Ecological Pyramids

  • There are generally more individuals at lower trophic levels than at higher levels
  • Plants fix about 1% of the sun's energy into their parts
  • Consumers process only about 10% of the energy available in the organisms they feed on
  • Biomass (total weight) of producers is usually greater than that of higher trophic levels
  • Food chains typically consist of only three or four steps, due to energy loss
  • A food web describes the complex, non-linear path of energy flow

Biogeochemical Cycles

  • Water cycles within ecosystems in two ways: -Environmental water cycle (water vapor condenses and falls as precipitation, evaporates into the atmosphere) -Organismic water cycle (water is absorbed by plant roots, evaporates from leaves via transpiration)
  • Deforestation disrupts the water cycle
  • In the US, more than 96% of fresh water is groundwater, occurring in aquifers
  • Carbon cycles between the atmosphere and living organisms -Plants trap carbon in organic molecules through photosynthesis -Carbon is returned to the atmosphere through respiration, combustion, and erosion
  • Respiration: Organisms release carbon dioxide
  • Combustion: Burn wood, fossil fuels, releases carbon
  • Erosion: Marine organisms die, create limestone, erosion releases carbon
  • The burning of fossil fuels releases stored carbon into the atmosphere

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles

  • Most living organisms can't utilize nitrogen gas (N2) directly
  • Nitrogen fixation: Bacteria break triple bonds in Nâ‚‚ and combine nitrogen with hydrogen, forming ammonia (NH₃)
  • Nitrogen fixation occurs in the absence of oxygen
  • The nitrogen-fixing bacteria are located in cysts that lack oxygen or in nodules found in plants, like beans
  • Farmers sometimes add fertilizers to supplement fixed nitrogen levels
  • Phosphorus is important soil nutrient in ATP and DNA
  • Most exists in soil and rock
  • Plants take up phosphorus from the soil or water, and when organisms die, phosphorus is recycled
  • Excess phosphorus in a lake leads to algal blooms, eutrophication, and reduced oxygen levels, decimating life

Latitude and Elevation

  • Temperature varies with elevation
  • At any given latitude, air temperature falls about 6°C for every 1,000-meter increase in elevation
  • When air rises against a mountain, it cools, releasing rain on the windward side
  • As air passes over a mountain and descends, its moisture-holding capacity increases, causing dryness on the leeward side (rain shadow)

Ocean Ecosystems

  • Oceans are typically cold and dark
  • Photosynthesis is largely limited to the top few hundred meters due to light penetration
  • Organisms in deeper waters rely on organic debris from the surface
  • There are three main types of ocean ecosystems: shallow water, open-sea surface, and deep-sea waters
  • Shallow water: Small area along the shoreline, high biodiversity, intertidal zones
  • Open-sea surface: Contains phytoplankton for photosynthesis, various fish species
  • Deep-sea waters: Few organisms, high diversity, bioluminescence

Freshwater Ecosystems

  • Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, ponds, rivers, and wetlands
  • Freshwater bodies are connected to land
  • Wetlands are intermediate habitats between terrestrial and aquatic biomes
  • A large amount of organic and inorganic matter enters freshwater bodies from nearby land environments
  • Ponds and lakes are divided into three zones: Littoral (shallow), Limnetic (open-water), Profundal (deep water)
  • Lakes are categorized as Oligotrophic (low organic matter, rich oxygen) or Eutrophic (high organic matter, low oxygen)
  • Temperature stratification and overturn processes impact nutrient availability

Land Ecosystems

  • A biome is a terrestrial ecosystem characterized by a specific climate and the organisms that thrive there
  • There are seven major types of biomes -Tropical rainforests: Diverse ecosystems -Savannas: Grasslands with trees, seasonal rainfall -Deserts: Dry areas with sparse vegetation -Grasslands: Temperate zones, often converted to agriculture -Deciduous forests: Lose leaves during winter -Taiga: Coniferous forests in North America and Asia -Tundra: Boggy grasslands in northern latitudes; permafrost present -Chaparral: Evergreen shrubs, dry summers -Polar Ice Caps: Arctic and Antarctic, minimal precipitation, scarce fresh water -Tropical Monsoon Forests: Slightly higher elevation, drier climates, seasonal rainfall from the ocean

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Description

Test your knowledge on ecosystems, including their structure and functioning. This quiz covers essential concepts such as producers, consumers, and trophic levels, as well as the flow of energy and cycling of chemicals within ecosystems. Perfect for students studying ecology or environmental science.

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