Download Regents Review 4

Regents Review 4
Ecology: The Biosphere
Ecology Basic Terms
• Define the term biotic
• Biotic – living part of the ecosystem
• Plants
• animals
• Define the term abiotic
• Abiotic – the non-living portion of the ecosystem
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Light
Water
Gases
Mineral
Rocks
Basic Terms continued
• Define Autotroph/Producer.
• Organism that can produce its own food
source. Example: Plants and some
bacteria
• Define the term Heterotroph/Consumer
• Organisms that must feed on other biotic
factors to acquire energy. Example:
humans
Organization
• Define biosphere
• Area where life is contained including all
land, water and air
• State the order organization of the
biosphere from most specific to most
broad
• Species, Population, Community,
Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere
Organization continued
• Define species. Give an example
• Species: a group of organisms so similar to one
another that they can breed and produce fertile
offspring. Example: humans, great danes,
moose, etc.
• Define Population. Give an example
• Population: groups of individuals that belong to
the same species and live in a given area.
Example: All great danes, all moose
Organization continued
• Define Community. Give an example
• Community: assemblage of different populations
that live in a defined area. Example: All humans
and moose and dogs in a given area
• Define Ecosystem
• Ecosystem: collection of all populations and the
abiotic factors living in a given area
• Define Biome. Give an example
• Biome: group of ecosystems that have the same
climate and similar dominant communities.
Example: desert, rainforest, deciduous forest
Energy Flow
• State the original source of all energy on
the planet
• The Sun
• How does the energy get into the
ecosystem?
• Plants
• By which process?
• Photosynthesis
Energy Flow continued
• How can energy flow be visually
expressed?
• Energy Pyramid
• Which organisms would we find at the
base of the pyramid?
• Producers
• At the next few consecutive levels?
• Consumers
Types of Consumers
• Define the term Herbivore. Give an example
• Herbivore – organisms that consume plant
matter. Cows, sheep
• Why are they considered primary consumers?
• First to acquire energy from the plant
• Define the term Carnivore. Give an example
• Carnivore – organisms that that eat plant eating
and meat eating organisms. Snakes, lions,
tigers, bears …oh my!!
Consumers continued
• Why can carnivores be considered secondary,
tertiary, etc. consumers?
• Depending if they eat primary consumers,
secondary consumers, etc.
• Define the term Omnivore. Give an example
• Omnivore – an organism that consumes both
plant and animal matter. Humans
• Define the term decomposer. Give an example
• Decomposer – organism that consumes dead or
decaying matter. Examples: Bacteria, fungi
Energy Pyramid
• What is the name given
to each energy level?
• Trophic levels
• Why do the trophic levels
get smaller with each
successive level?
• Energy is lost to life
functions and only a small
percentage is passed on
• How much energy is
available or transfer at
each level?
• 10%
Energy Pyramid
• How would the energy flow be affected if
the producers were lost or reduced in
numbers?
• The pyramid would collapse or sustain
less organisms
Food Web vs. Food Chain
• Define food chain. Give an example
• Series of steps in a single direction from
producer to last consumer
• Example: Seed – mouse – snake – owl
• Define food web.
• Number of intertwining/connected food chains
• Why is the food web more stable than a food
chain?
• More energy pathways so energy flow will not be
completely stopped if one organism is lost
Food Web vs. Food Chain
Biomass Pyramid
• Define the term biomass
• Biomass – is the total dry weight of an
organism
• Why must biomass decrease as you move
up the energy pyramid on land?
• Each level must have enough mass to
sustain the next level above it
Cycling of Materials
• Identify materials that are recycled through
the environment
• Water, carbon, oxygen, etc.
• Is energy recycled?
• NO!!!!
• Why must some materials be recycled
while others do not?
• Limited resource on the planet. Energy
comes from the Sun
Carbon Cycle
• Briefly describe the cycling of carbon in
the ecosystem
• Enters through photosynthesis –
converted to glucose – passes to
consumer when eaten – released by cell
respiration as carbon dioxide into the
environment
• Briefly describe the nitrogen cycle
Organismal Interactions
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Define the term predation. Give an example
One organism feeds another. Wolf and moose, tiger and gazelle
Define the term Mutualism. Give an example
When both organisms benefit from the interaction. Example:
Humans and intestinal bacteria
Define Commensalism. Give an example
Commensalism – when one organism benefits from the interaction
and the other does not gain or lose anything. Example: Whales and
barnacles
Define the term Parasitism. Give an example.
Parasitism – one organism lives on or in another and benefits with
the host is harmed. Example: tapeworm and human
Succession
• Define primary succession. Give an example
• Primary succession – development of an
ecosystem from no life
• Explain the importance of a pioneer organism.
Give an example
• Lichen is an example
• Define secondary succession. Give an example
• Secondary succession – recovery of an
ecosystem after a natural disaster or human
influence. The resulting ecosystem can be the
same or different from the original ecosystem