Food Web, Food Chain, Food Pyramid

Organisms

• Living entities classified as plants, animals, or bacteria.

Energy Pyramid

• Diagrams illustrating energy transfer between levels of a food chain.

Consumers

• First-level consumers: Organisms that feed on producers such as plants and algae.
• Second-level consumers: Organisms that prey on first-level consumers.
• Third-level consumers (tertiary): Organisms that feed on second-level consumers.

Competition

• Occurs when organisms vie for limited resources in the same ecological niche.

Camouflage

• Adaptation that allows animals to blend into their environment to evade predators.

Symbiosis

• Long-term interactions between different species of organisms.

Mutualism

• A symbiotic relationship benefiting both organisms involved.

Parasitism

• A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Extinction

• Occurs when the last member of a species has died out.

Threatened Species

• Species that are in jeopardy of becoming endangered.

Pollution

• Any harmful waste that contaminates ecosystems.

Acid Rain

• Rain produced when water vapor combines with pollutants from vehicles and factories.

Deforestation

• The removal of trees for timber, leading to habitat loss.

Conservation

• The practice of preserving natural resources and protecting ecosystems.

Recycling

• The process of recovering materials from waste to create new products.

Reducing Resource Use

• Minimizing usage of resources, exemplified by utilizing reusable shopping bags.

Reuse

• Extending the life of items by finding new uses for them instead of discarding.

Photosynthesis Requirements

• Plants and algae require sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and chlorophyll to perform photosynthesis.

Biotic Components

• Living entities in an ecosystem include plants, animals, and algae.

Abiotic Components

• Non-living factors such as soil, minerals, air, and water that affect ecosystems.

Scavengers

• Organisms that consume dead or decaying matter, such as vultures and isopods.

Decomposers

• Fungi, bacteria, and mushrooms that break down dead organic material and recycle nutrients.

Primary Energy Source

• The sun serves as the main energy source for life on Earth.

Role of Decomposers

• Decomposers enrich soil fertility through the decomposition of organic matter.

Resource Limitation and Competition

• If resources are scarce, organisms in the same niche will compete for survival.

Habitat Destruction

• The leading cause of extinction today, resulting from the degradation of natural habitats.

Mutualism Example

• A cleaner fish that cleans a shark’s teeth benefits from food and safety, while the shark gains dental hygiene.

Parasitism Example

• A flea that feeds on a dog benefits from nourishment, while the dog suffers no advantage.

Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Diverse biomes include deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, deserts, taiga, and tundras.

Deciduous Forest

• A biome characterized by trees that lose their leaves annually, experiencing moderate temperatures and rainfall.

Tropical Rainforest

• A biodiverse ecosystem known for its immense variety of plant and animal life.

This quiz covers essential concepts related to ecosystems, focusing on the food web, food chain, and energy pyramid. It includes definitions and examples of organisms, first-level and second-level consumers, and more. Perfect for biology students looking to reinforce their understanding of energy flow in ecosystems.