environmental science a - unit 3: bionomics

what is an isolated system?

a system that allows neither energy nor matter to enter and leave

what is salinity?

the amount of dissolved salts in water

lesson 12

trophic levels

lesson 15

trophic relationships

what is a biome?

a biome is a large geographical area identifiable by its climate and organisms.

what is negative feedback?

a change triggering a response that decreases the magnitude of the original change

what is positive feedback?

a change triggering a response that increases the magnitude of the original change

what is a habitat?

a habitat is any natural home or environment for an organism.

what is a terrestrial ecosystem?

a land-based community of organisms

which describes an ecological pyramid?

a model which shows how energy is transferred between trophic levels in an ecosystem.

what is an example of negative feedback in an ecosystem?

a rabbit population decreases, and its food supply increases.

what is an open system?

a system that allows both energy and matter to enter and leave

what is an open system?

a system that allows both energy and matter to enter or leave

what does the term "stable states" refer to?

a theory that ecosystems are stable but can transition easily to another state from small disturbances or changes

what is photosynthesis? select all that apply.

a type of carbon fixation in which inorganic carbon is turned into a usable form for organisms the process in which the energy from sunlight is used to make sugars out of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water

how do ecosystems change naturally over time?

a volcano can cause a soybean field to be wiped out. grasses take over, then flowering plants and shrubs arrive, and then finally trees arrive.

what is a predator?

an animal that eats another animal for food

what is an omnivore?

an animal that eats both plants and animals

what is a carnivore?

an animal that eats only meat

which option best defines "herbivore"?

an animal that eats only plants

what is a decomposer?

an organism that helps break down dead organic materials so vital nutrients can be recycled for the use of other living organisms

what is a producer in an ecosystem?

an organism that makes its own food

what does "aquatic" mean?

animals and plants that live in or around water

how can a biome be identified?

by its climate and the organisms living there

which describes carbon fixation?

carbon in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, is converted into a form which organisms can use, such as sugars.

match each abiotic or biotic component with its correct ecosystem.

cold water, lots of oxygen, intermediate sunlight : lake abiotic components freshwater jellyfish, steelhead trout, bladderwort : lake biotic components jaguar, anaconda, orchid plants : amazon rainforest biotic components heavy rainfall, nutrient-dense soil, warm air : amazon rainforest abiotic components puffer fish, shrimp, seagrass : coral reef biotic components warm water, cool moist air, oxygen : coral reef abiotic components

match each symbiotic relationship with the correct example.

commensalism : as cows graze, they stir up insects in the grass. cattle egrets follow behind the livestock, eating the insects. the cows are not affected by the egrets. mutualism : the yucca moth pollinates the yucca plant and lays her eggs in the seed pods parasitism : when mosquitoes bite, the feed off the blood of their host. they can also inject diseases like malaria and zika virus

which organism is a detritivore in this example?

dung beetle

which describes ecological pyramids?

ecological pyramids show hierarchical layers of organisms in an ecosystem. producers, the organisms with the most energy, are at the bottom of the pyramid, followed by several layers of consumers.

lesson 14

ecosystem stability

are ecosystems open or isolated systems, and are they affected by feedback?

ecosystems are open systems and are affected by feedback.

lesson 13

environmental roles of organisms

lesson 11

environments and organisms

on the african savanna, grasses feed wildebeest, gazelles, and hares. lions, hyenas, and cheetahs hunt the wildebeest and gazelles. vultures eat the remains from predator kills. bacteria and fungi break down anything that is left over from the carcasses. dung beetles eat the feces left behind from grass-eating animals like hares and elephants. which organisms are herbivores? select all that apply.

hare gazelle wildebeest

in the dry desert, green, leafy plants are scarce. tough cacti are more common. small animals like rats, mice, and insects rely on the cacti for food. larger animals like lizards eat those small animals and insects. hawks and snakes prey on the small and large animals. of the organisms in this example, which are carnivores? select all that apply.

hawks lizards snakes

how does the cycling of matter in ecosystems occur? select all that apply.

in ecosystems, matter is passed on when one organism eats another so that matter is not destroyed. matter moves through the various reservoirs of ecosystems as well as through living things in a continuous cycle.

what happens to the energy as it flows between trophic levels?

it flows in one direction and most of the energy doesn't make it from one level to the next level.

which accurately describes the role of the sun in ecosystems?

it is the original source of energy for organisms.

what is the role of the sun in ecosystems?

it supplies energy to producers for food.

what would happen if there was no oxygen in water?

many organisms would not be able to live.

which is true about an isolated system?

matter and energy cannot enter or leave it.

which type of organism consumes both plants and animals?

omnivore

what represents a symbiotic relationship? select all that apply.

owls living in the hollow of a tree remoras eating leftovers from a shark wasps laying eggs inside a hornworm

what are phytoplankton?

phytoplankton are microscopic algae that serve as producers in marine ecosystems.

how does feedback control a system?

positive feedback amplifies a previous change that negative feedback corrects.

in the dry desert, green, leafy plants are scarce. tough cacti are more common. small animals like rats, mice, and insects rely on the cacti for food. larger animals like lizards eat those small animals and insects. hawks and snakes prey on the small and large animals. atch each consumer from the example with the correct trophic level.

primary consumer : insect secondary consumer : lizard tertiary consumer : hawk

in order for an ecosystem to be diverse, it must be healthy. in order for an ecosystem to be healthy, it must have enough food, energy, and nutrients for the organisms that are present. what trophic levels are an absolute necessity in ensuring that an ecosystem is diverse and healthy? select all that apply.

producer decomposer

what are abiotic factors of biomes? select all that apply.

rainfall minerals

which statement is true of succession?

succession happens all the time, and sometimes we can see it.

what is carbon fixation?

the conversion of inorganic carbon into organic compounds that are usable by organisms.

corals can become bleached, meaning that the plankton living within them die. what happens to a population of fish that feed on plankton within the reef?

the fish population decreases due to the decrease in plankton.

what is an example of positive feedback in an ecosystem?

the food supply for rabbits increases, and the population of rabbits increases.

how can the food web be described?

the lion depends on the jackal, goat, and green plants as one pathway for food.

what does the word "biotic" refer to?

the living organisms in a community

what part of a biome is abiotic?

the nonliving components

study the ecological pyramid. https://cdstools.flipswitch.com/asset/media/1238786 in the ecological pyramid, which organism has the least amount of energy and why?

the owl has the least amount of energy. the owl gets its energy from consuming the snake, the snake from the rabbit, and the rabbit from the corn. only 10% of the energy each organism consumes gets passed on to the next organism in the pyramid, causing the owl to have the least.

what happens to the population of cod when spawning areas for reproduction are lost and then recovered?

the population decreases and then increases to return to a stable state.

what would happen to the populations of snakes and owls if there was a drought and less grass was available?

the population would decrease.

what is symbiosis?

the relationship that occurs when two different organisms belonging to different species live closely together and have specific interactions

what correctly describes the movement of matter and energy through this food chain?

the seal gets energy and matter from the penguin, which gets energy and matter from the krill, which gets energy and matter from the phytoplankton.

how does matter move through organisms in an ecosystem?

the top predator depends on other consumers, which depend on producers for food.

what is a trophic level of an ecological pyramid?

the trophic level reflects where an organism is in the sequence of energy transfers in an ecosystem.

why are producers important to ecosystems? select all that apply.

they are able to make their own food. they are the primary source of food for other organisms. they convert the sun's energy into a usable form for other organisms.