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Questions and Answers
What is the primary source of energy for photosynthesis in plants?
Which process do consumers perform to utilize energy from organic molecules?
What term describes all the populations living and interacting within a specific area?
What type of productivity refers to the manufacture of biomass by organisms that consume plants?
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Which of the following best defines an ecosystem?
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What factors can limit the net primary productivity of an ecosystem despite high total productivity?
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What is a food web primarily defined as?
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What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?
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What is the main process by which animals release carbon back into the atmosphere?
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Which nitrogen compounds can be directly utilized by plants?
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What prevents the decomposition of organic matter, allowing it to potentially become fossil fuel?
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What role do denitrifying bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle?
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What is a primary source of nitrogen for forming amino acids in plants?
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What process is significant in removing excess nitrogen from aquatic systems affected by eutrophication?
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What is the primary function of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil?
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How does carbon move through the food web?
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What happens to water vapor as it rises in the atmosphere?
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What determines the type of precipitation that falls from clouds?
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What is runoff primarily a result of?
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How does groundwater reach the water table?
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What initiates the carbon cycle?
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Which of the following processes releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere?
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Why is the carbon cycle of particular interest for climate regulation?
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What role do producers play in the carbon cycle?
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How is the biomass of one trophic level calculated?
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What is a characteristic of the pyramid of productivity?
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What unit is used to measure the pyramid of productivity?
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Which of the following describes the hydrologic cycle?
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What process is described by the emission of water vapor from plant leaves?
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Which statement best describes the importance of material cycles in ecosystems?
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Which processes are primarily responsible for the cycling of water in the environment?
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What essential elements are involved in biogeochemical cycles besides water?
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What process involves phosphorus being gradually released into water bodies?
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How does phosphorus primarily cycle through the food web?
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What happens to phosphorus deposits over geologic time?
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From where are the phosphate compounds used in fertilizers and detergents primarily obtained?
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Which of the following best describes the role of phosphorus in the ecosystem?
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Which of the following statements about phosphorus cycling is true?
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What environmental factor contributes to phosphorus being available again to terrestrial life?
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How is phosphorus primarily incorporated into the food web?
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Study Notes
Photosynthesis and Energy Exchange
- Photosynthesis transforms sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars and organic molecules.
- Oxygen is produced as a byproduct during photosynthesis, contributing to the atmosphere.
- Consumers utilize oxygen and break down sugars in cellular respiration.
Ecological Concepts
- Ecology is the study of relationships between organisms and their environment.
- Species: Genetically similar organisms capable of breeding.
- Population: All members of a species in a specific area.
- Biological Community: Various populations interacting in a specific region.
- Ecosystem: A biological community plus its abiotic environment, including climate, water, and minerals.
Productivity
- Productivity is a key ecosystem property, indicating biomass production over time.
- Primary Productivity: Biomass generated through photosynthesis; foundational for ecosystem growth.
- Secondary Productivity: Biomass produced by consumers feeding on plants.
- Rapid decomposition can lower net primary productivity despite high total productivity.
Food Chains and Food Webs
- Food Chain: A linear sequence linking organisms based on feeding relationships.
- Food Web: An interconnected system of multiple food chains within an ecosystem.
Trophic Levels
- Defined by the feeding position of organisms; biomass is calculated by the number of individuals multiplied by average mass.
- Measured in grams or kilograms per square meter (g/m2 or kg/m2).
Pyramid of Productivity
- Illustrates energy distribution across different trophic levels in an ecosystem.
- Energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels; cannot be largest at the apex.
Material Cycles
- Water Cycle: Water circulates between the atmosphere, biosphere, surface, and groundwater.
- Essential elements (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) undergo biogeochemical cycles, maintaining life-supporting conditions.
Hydrologic Cycle Components
- Evaporation: Water vapor rises as heat breaks molecular bonds.
- Transpiration: Water vapor released from plant leaves; significant water loss.
- Condensation: Water vapor cools and forms droplets, creating clouds.
- Precipitation: Water returns to Earth as rain, snow, or hail.
- Runoff: Excess water flows to larger bodies of water.
- Percolation: Water infiltrates soil, reaching groundwater.
Carbon Cycle
- Begins with carbon dioxide uptake by photosynthetic organisms, forming carbohydrates.
- Respiration releases carbon dioxide, completing the cycle.
- Biological carbon movement significantly influences climate regulation.
Nitrogen Cycle
- Nitrogen (N2) comprises 78% of the atmosphere; nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert it into usable forms (nitrate, ammonium).
- Amino acids built using nitrogen are crucial for organic compounds.
- Decomposition and consumption transfer nitrogen through various organisms.
Phosphorus Cycle
- Slowly moves from rocks to the ocean, impacting river ecosystems.
- Essential for plant growth; washed downstream, accumulating in ocean sediments.
- Mined phosphorus used in fertilizers comes from ancient ocean deposits.
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Description
Explore the process of photosynthesis and how it converts radiant energy into chemical energy. This quiz covers the role of plants in ecosystems, the production of organic molecules, and the interactions between producers and consumers in energy exchange.
