Unit 1 Ecosystem and Energy
Food web
A connection web that consist of organisms from different interlocking food chains
Food chain
A sequence of energy transfers in the form of food for primary producers to other consumers
Based on the diagram, which of the following statements about the hydrologic cycle is true? A. Water from the ocean evaporates and condenses in the atmosphere. B. Surface runoff is the primary recharge of groundwater. C. Infiltration of water into the ground prevents water from returning to the oceanic reservoir. D. Evapotranspiration from plants decreases atmospheric water vapor.
A. Water from the ocean evaporates and condenses in the atmosphere.
Secondary consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers
tertiary consumer
An organism that eats secondary consumers
phosphorus cycle steps
Assimilation, Mineralization, sedimentation, Geological Uplift, Weathering(necessary for cell development)
This biome contains a nutrient-rich environment created by falling leaves and trapped organic materials from the large trees, and it provides the ecosystem service of filtering pollutants from water. A. Coral reefs B. Freshwater wetlands C. Open ocean D. Rivers
B. Freshwater wetlands
The total rate of photosynthesis in a given area. A. Primary productivity B. Gross primary productivity C. Net primary productivity D. Cellular respiration
B. Gross primary productivity
Which of the following processes is illustrated by the downward arrows from the atmosphere that show the conversion of nitrogen gas into usable forms available to producers? A. Nitrogen assimilation B. Nitrogen fixation C. Photosynthesis D. Weathering
B. Nitrogen fixation
Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest net primary productivity? A. Desert B. Tropical rain forest C. Taiga D. Savanna
B. Tropical rain forest
Based on the food web shown above, which of the following correctly describes the flow of energy through the trophic levels from producers to quaternary consumers? A. Red-tailed hawk, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper, rattlesnake, brittlebrush B. Red-tailed hawk, rattlesnake, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper, brittlebrush C. Brittlebrush, grasshopper, grasshopper mouse, rattlesnake, red-tailed hawk D. Brittlebrush, red-tailed hawk, rattlesnake, grasshopper mouse, grasshopper
C. Brittlebrush, grasshopper, grasshopper mouse, rattlesnake, red-tailed hawk
Which of the following smaller reservoirs of freshwater are missing from the diagram? A. Fossil fuels B. Rocks C. Ice caps D. Algae
C. Ice caps
In reef ecosystems, corals often have microalgae living inside them. The algae supply the corals with nutrients, and the coral give shelter to the algae. Which of the following interactions best describes the relationship between the corals and the algae? A. Competition B. Predation C. Mutualism D. Parasitism
C. Mutualism
The energy available to consumers determined by subtracting the energy used by plants from the total energy transformed by the process of photosynthesis. A. Primary productivity B. Gross primary productivity C. Net primary productivity D. Cellular respiration
C. Net primary productivity
Hydrothermal Vents
Chemosynthesis by specialized bacteria, no sunlight,
Based on the second law of thermodynamics, how much biomass of phytoplankton would be needed to produce 1 kilogram (kg) of large fish in this food web? A. 1 g B. 10 g C. 100 kg D. 1,000 kg
D. 1,000 kg
This rate of reaction can be measured in the dark by determining the amount of oxygen gas consumed in a period of time. A. Primary productivity B. Gross primary productivity C. Net primary productivity D. Cellular respiration
D. Cellular respiration
Which of the boxes represents a carbon source? A. A B. B C. C D. D
D. D
Which trophic level has the least available energy in kilojoules in this food web? A. Phytoplankton B. Herbivorous zooplankton C. Baleen whale D. Killer whale
D. Killer whale
This freshwater biome is characterized by fast-flowing water that can originate from underground springs or runoff, which carries sediment and organic material. A. Coral reefs B. Freshwater wetlands C. Open ocean D. Rivers
D. Rivers
water cycle steps
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run off, transpiration, infiltration
Why are insects important
Insects does pollination that allow s flowering plants to reproduce/pollinate
Assimilation
Organisms use nitrate and ammonium to make DNA and amino acids.
Photosynthesis vs respiration
Photosynthesis-cell captures energy in sunlight and uses it to make food. Respiration-cells obtain energy from glucose.
Co-evolution
Process by which two or more species evolve in response to one another
Why is biodiversity necessary part of Earth's natural capital?
Provides ecosystem functions
resource partitioning
Resource partitioning is when each competitors change their diet distinct from others to reduce competition with the same or other species.
Nitrification
Take nitrite and turning it into nitrate NO3
Ammonification
Taking NH3 and turning it into NH4.
Denitrification
Taking nitrate and ammonium and turning it back into nitrogen (N2) in the air.
Nitrogen Fixation
Taking nitrogen in air (N2) and changing to nitrite (NO2) or ammonia (NH3)
Standing crop
The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
net primary productivity
The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
Net primary Productivity(NPP)
The energy captured minus the energy(GPP) respired by producers.
Biomass
The energy in an ecosystem is measured in terms of biomass(measured in living things)
Gross primry productivity(GPP)
The total amount of solar energy that the producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
What biomes have high NPP?
Tropical rainforests have high NPP because its environment are very warm and moist, which is very suitable for adaptation in both plants and animals.
Competition
Two species "fight" for a limited resource; resources include food, water, shelter, and space
Ecosystem Diversity
Variety in ecosystems and biomes
Species diversity
Variety of different species in a ecosystem
Genetic Diversity
Variety of genetic within the same species or a population
genetic resistance
ability of one or more member of a population to resist a chemical designed to kill it
Mutualism
both species are benefitted from each other
How does population evolve?
by becoming genetically different
interspecific competition
competition between members of different species
Intraspecific competition
competition between members of the same species
Primary Consumers
comsume producers
Gross Primary Productivity(GPP)
is the rate at which an ecosystem's producers (usually plants) convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass found in their tissues.
Biological evolution
life on earth changes through genetic characteristics of populatins
nitrogen cycle steps
nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification(bacteria is the key)
Consumers(heterotrophs)
obtain energy by consuming other orgnisms
parasitis
one species is benefited at the expense of another
Commensalism
one species is benefitted while the other is unharmed
carbon cycle steps
photosynthesis, respiration, exchange, sedimentation and burial, extraction, and combustion(important for maintaining a stable climate)
What is a Mutation?
random changes in DNA molecules
natural selection
species that have specific traits that make them more likely to survive and reproduce under a certain set of environmental conditions
Fitness
the one that is best able to compete for the food source, will most likely continue to survive
Ecological efficiency
the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
How does fossils explain life changes over time?
they provide physical evidence of ancient organisms and reveal what their external structures looked like. For example rocks: they can give evidence of climate, habitat, etc at their time.
Tropic pyramid
you lose 90% energy as you go up the levels. you rarely have mass numbers of apex predators. look at diagram.
A temperate grassland biome has a gross primary productivity of 3,480kilocalories/meter2/year and a net primary productivity of 2,000kilocalories/meter2/year. Which of the following is the approximate number of kilocalories/meter2/year available to herbivores in that biome? A. 200kilocalories/meter2/year B. 1,480kilocalories/meter2/year C. 2,000kilocalories/meter2/year D. 5,480kilocalories/meter2/year
A. 200kilocalories/meter2/year
Which box represents a carbon sink that holds carbon compounds for the shortest period of time? A. A B. B C. C D. D
A. A
Which of the following types of organisms are required to complete the nitrogen cycle, including the process of denitrification? A. Bacteria B. Producers C. Consumers D. Fungi
A. Bacteria
This biome is found in shallow waters off the coastline and is Earth's most biologically diverse marine biome. A. Coral reefs B. Freshwater wetlands C. Open ocean D. Rivers
A. Coral reefs
Which of the following trophic levels represents a primary producer in an aquatic food chain? A. Phytoplankton B. Herbivorous zooplankton C. Carnivorous zooplankton D. Baleen whale
A. Phytoplankton
Which of the following biogeochemical cycles includes the processes of buffering ocean pH and photosynthesis, as shown in the diagram? A. The carbon cycle B. The nitrogen cycle C. The phosphorus cycle D. The potassium cycle
A. The carbon cycle
Which of the following describes the most likely change to terrestrial biomes resulting from warmer average global temperatures? A. The global distribution of midlatitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rain forests, would increase. B. Deciduous trees found in temperate seasonal forests would flower later in the year. C. The latitude range of tropical rain forests would narrow closer to the equator. D. High-latitude biomes, such as the tundra, would experience a decrease in net primary productivity.
A. The global distribution of midlatitude biomes, such as grasslands and temperate rain forests, would increase.
Which of the following best describes an example of resource partitioning in an ecosystem? A. Two different bird species feed from the same oak tree; one eats acorns, and the other eats insects in the bark. B.A tick uses a white-tailed deer as its host, consuming the deer's blood as food. C. Two individuals from the same population of barn owls hunt for the same species of mouse during the night. D. A mason bee pollinates a variety of flowers in a botanical garden.
A. Two different bird species feed from the same oak tree; one eats acorns, and the other eats insects in the bark.
Which of the following best describes a terrestrial ecosystem that will have the highest net primary productivity? A. Warm temperatures, high rainfall, and consistent sunlight B. Hot temperatures, low rainfall, and consistent sunlight C. Cold temperatures, high rainfall, and inconsistent sunlight D. Warm temperatures, low rainfall, and inconsistent sunlight
A. Warm temperatures, high rainfall, and consistent sunlight
Energy is transferred along food chains from one stage to the next. Which statement best explains how the energy is transferred? A. If a primary consumer stores 100kcal of energy, then a secondary consumer that feeds on the primary consumer will also have 100kcal of energy available. B. If a primary producer stores 10,000kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer will have 10kcal of energy available. C. If a primary producer stores 100,000kcal of energy, then a secondary consumer will have 10,000kcal of energy available. D. If a secondary consumer stores 500kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer that feeds on the secondary consumer will have 5,000kcal of energy available.
B. If a primary producer stores 10,000kcal of energy, then a tertiary consumer will have 10kcal of energy available.
Which of the following best identifies a key component of the hydrologic cycle that powers the movement of water and is missing from the diagram? A. Terrestrial animals B. The Sun C. Bacteria D. Volcanoes
B. The Sun
Which of the following best describes what is represented by the arrows in the food web? A. The photosynthesis rates of producers B. The flow of energy C. The movement of predators D. The decomposition of matter
B. The flow of energy
Which of the following statements is best supported by the diagram of the phosphorus cycle? A. The largest reservoir of phosphorus is in the atmosphere. B. The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually return to the soil. C. Plants take up the phosphate ions primarily from the metamorphic rocks. D. Phosphates are not soluble in water.
B. The phosphates absorbed by animal tissue through consumption eventually return to the soil.
Six white-tailed deer and six sika deer were enclosed in a pasture for observation during an eight-year study in central Texas. White-tailed deer are a native species to central Texas, while sika deer are a nonnative species to central Texas. White-tailed deer feed on flowering plants and the tips of trees and shrubs but do not eat grass. Sika deer feed on flowering plants, the tips of trees and shrubs, and grass. All other grazing animals were kept out of the pasture during the study. The number of sika deer more than doubled after the eight years, while the population of white-tailed deer decreased by 50 percent. A. The sika deer are generalists, while the white-tailed deer are specialists. B. The sika deer out competed the white-tailed deer in consuming flowering plants and shrubs. C. Parasites infected the sika deer population but did not infect the white-tailed deer population. D. Change in the local climate reduced the availability of food resources for the white-tailed deer population.
B. The sika deer out competed the white-tailed deer in consuming flowering plants and shrubs.
Farmers in a suburban coastal town started using no-till agriculture, a practice that reduces soil erosion from their farmland. Use the image above to determine which of the following long-term effects no-till agriculture will have on the ecosystem surrounding the farmland. A. There will be an increased need for fertilizer on farmlands. B. There will be less algal growth in the nearby ocean. C. There will be less phosphorous pollution in the atmosphere. D. There will be an increased deposition of phosphorous-rich sediments.
B. There will be less algal growth in the nearby ocean.
Which of the following terrestrial biomes has the highest primary productivity per unit area? A. Desert B. Tropical rain forest C. Boreal forest D. Savanna
B. Tropical rain forest
How does competition sometimes lead to resource partitioning?
Because some resources are limited, if both competitors keep competing with each other, eventually the limited resources are going to run out, so they have to suffice themselves by 'resource partitioning'. Resource partitioning is when each competitors change their diet distinct from others to reduce competition with the same or other species.
Functional Diversity
Biological and chemical processes or functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities; basically energy flow cycling
The majority of the nitrogen on Earth can be found in which of the following reservoirs? A. Terrestrial plants B. Soil bacteria C. The atmosphere D. Sedimentary rock
C. The atmosphere
The diagram above best illustrates major processes in which of the following biogeochemical cycles? A. The carbon cycle B. The nitrogen cycle C. The phosphorus cycle D. The water cycle
C. The phosphorus cycle
Which of the following best describes the flow of energy in most terrestrial and near-surface marine ecosystems? A. Decomposers break down dead or decaying organisms to release energy and nutrients to be used by producers. B. Chemoautotrophs use inorganic energy sources, such as hydrogen sulfide, to create organic compounds from carbon dioxide. C. Apex predators feed on other organisms, which releases heat that can be used by producers and primary consumers. D. Producers use energy from the sun to make organic matter, such as sugars, from carbon dioxide and water and are then consumed by organisms higher in the food chain.
D. Producers use energy from the sun to make organic matter, such as sugars, from carbon dioxide and water and are then consumed by organisms higher in the food chain.
What biomes have low NPP?
Extreme deserts have low NPP because there aren't really that many plants or living beings as a system in 'extreme desert', very few animals could adapt in this biome.