Download individual (or organism) biosphere ecosystem population community

Name: __________________________________________________ Date: _____________ Pd: _______
Unit 8: Ecology and Ecosystems Review Packet KEY
is made of living and non living factors combined in an area.
Ecosystems have a unique set of plants, animals, and organisms which are adapted
to the environmental conditions in that area (forest vs desert)
1. What is an ecosystem? -
2. The graphic organizer shows the five levels of organization within the ecosystem :
population, ecosystem, community, individual, biosphere. Write the correct word in the box on the left.
biosphere
ecosystem
community
population
individual
(or organism)
3. Define ecology:
the study of the interactions of living organisms with each other and their
environment.
4. Define “biotic”
-
is living, or alive
5. Define “abiotic” - is non-living
6. Define “producer” and give an example. Producers make their own food through photosynthesis.
Ex: grass, flower, tree.
7. Define “primary consumer” and give an example. – get their energy from eating plants. Ex: deer,
8. Define “secondary consumer” and give an example. – get their energy from eating an animal, which ate
a plant. Ex: wolf – which eats the deer, which ate the grass.
9. Consider this forest ecosystem. Identify at
least 5 biotic and 5 abiotic factors which
might exist there:
Biotic:
hawk, vulture, fox, rabbit, bacteria,
fungi, mushrooms
Abiotic:
wind, water, soil, rocks, sunlight
10. How would a forest ecosystem differ from a
desert ecosystem?
Forests would have
a completely different group of organisms than deserts. Organisms in each ecosystem are
uniquely adapted to survive in the conditions there.
11. Define the following terms and give ONE EXAMPLE of an organism.
Herbivore : is an animal which eats only plants.
Ex: panda bear, deer, rabbit.
Omnivore: is an animal which can eat plants or animals. Ex: brown bear, humans
Carnivore: is an animal which eats only other animals. Ex: mountain lion, tiger, wolf
Scavenger: an animal which feeds on carcasses of dead animals that it finds. Ex: vulture
Decomposer: an organism which gets energy by breaking down bodies of dead organisms. Ex:
fungus, some bacteria
Predator: an animal which hunts, kills, and eats another animal to get food.
Prey: the animal which is eaten by the predator
12. What is symbiosis? When two or more species live together, or in association with each other.
13. What are the 3 types of symbiotic relationships? List and explain each one.
A. Mutualism – relationship in which both organisms benefit from the relationship.
Ex: anemone and clownfish, some corals and algae
B. Commensalism – relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped
nor harmed.
Ex: shark and remora fish, whale and barnacle
C. Parasitism – relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed.
Ex: fleas and dog, leeches and humans, ticks and humans, parasitic wasp and caterpillar
14. Compare and contrast food webs and food chains.
both
Food webs only
Show producers, primary
consumers, secondary
 Show a single pathway= of
consumers, and tertiary
energy flow through an
consumers.
ecosystem.
Food chains only
 Show multiple pathways of
energy flow through an
ecosystem.
Diagram how energy flows
through an ecosystem
Show the relationship between
the types of organisms in an
ecosystem.
15. What do the arrows represent in food webs and food chains? Which way do the arrows point? Arrows show
the flow of energy. They point form the organism being eaten to the organism doing the eating.
16. Trophic levels and energy pyramids.
About what percent of energy is transferred up each
level at each layer or step on a food chain? Ten percent
17. Why does there always need to be more producers
than primary consumers in a food chain or web?
Since only 10% of energy is transferred, there must be
a lot more producers at the bottom in order for enough
energy to be left over and making it to the top levels.
18. How does the element carbon move through and around an ecosystem? It cycles through the carbon cycle. CO2
from the air is taken in by plants during photosynthesis and put into sugars. The carbon in the form of sugars is used
by the plant to release energy, or when the plant is eaten, the animal uses the sugar for energy. The process of
respiration releases the energy from the sugar, putting CO2 back into the atmosphere. Also, when plants and
animals die, decomposers break down their body releasing CO2 back into the air. Under special conditions, dead
plants and animals can be converted into fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. When humans burn these
fuels, the carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2.
19. Use the terms in the word bank below to correctly complete the Carbon Cycle diagram:
Word Bank:
death & decomposition
photosynthesis
fossil fuels
cellular respiration
combustion
20. What happens to carbon during respiration? It is returned to the atmosphere as CO2.
21. What happened to carbon during photosynthesis? It is taken from the air and put into sugars, and living tissue.
The nitrogen cycle
22. What do nitrogen fixing bacteria do? They take N
gas from the air and convert into forms that plants
can use to grow and make proteins.
23. Where do plants get the nitrogen they need to
make proteins, DNA, and grow? From nitrates in the
soil, which were put there by N-fixing bacteria.
24. How do animals get the nitrogen they need to
make proteins, DNA, and grow? Animals eat plants
to get the nitrogen then need.
25. What happens to nitrogen when decomposers break down dead plants and animals? The nitrogen is released back
into the soil, where plants can use it again, or de-nitrifying bacteria can release it back to the atmosphere.
26. What is ecological succession? It occurs after a disturbance. It begins a series of changes in plant and animal
communities in an area over time.
27. How is primary succession different than secondary succession? Primary succession begins with bare rock, no soil.
Secondary succession begins from previously existing soil.
28. What does a pioneer species do? Pioneer species are the first organisms to begin to grow in an area after the
disturbance happens.
29. What is a climax community? It is the final set of plants and animals the develop in succession. These plants and
animals are well adapted and will continue to replace themselves unless another disturbance occurs.
30. Use the word bank to complete the Venn Diagram on primary and secondary succession
 No previously existing plants
 Plants and animals adapt
 Comes after a disturbance
 Ends with a climax community
 Starts as a result of a forest fire
 Starts as a result of a volcano or
receding glacier
 Previously existing life present
primary succession
only
 No previously existing
plants
 Starts as a result of a
volcano or receding
glacier.
 Starts on bare rock
 Lichens break down
the rock
 Happens relatively
slowly.
 Begins with pioneer species
 Starts with previously existing soil
 Starts on bare rock
 Lichens break down rock
 Happens relatively slowly
 Happens relatively quickly
 Gradual growth and changes over
time
both
 Plants and animals
adapt
 Gradual growth and
changes over time
 Comes after a
disturbance
 Begins with pioneer
species
 Ends with a climax
community
secondary succession only
 Starts with previously
existing soil
 Starts as a result of a
forest fire.
 Happens relatively
quickly
