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Chapter 4 Study Guide - ECOSYSTEMS: COMPONENTS, ENERGY FLOW, AND MATTER CYCLING
Period
When one tugs at a single thing
in nature, he finds it attached
to the rest of the world.
~John Muir
4-1 The Nature of Ecology
1. Ecology is the study of how ___________________ interact with one another and with their
___________________ environment. It is a study of ___________________ in nature.
2. All living things are known as ___________________.
3. Eukaryotic organisms are made of cells that have a distinct ___________________ and have several
internal parts called ___________________. Prokaryotic organisms don’t have a distinct
___________________ and don’t have any enclosed internal parts.
4. Label the following characteristics as either asexual reproduction (A) or sexual reproduction (S):

Produces offspring that have combinations of genetic traits from each parent.

Gives the species a greater chance of survival under changing conditions.

Common in prokaryotic species, like bacteria.

Produces offspring by combining sex cells from both parents.

Produces 2 identical cells that are clones of the original cell.
5. What are 3 examples of populations?



6. In response to changes in environmental conditions, populations change in _______________,
_______________, _______________, and _______________.
7. The place where a population normally lives is its ___________________.
8. Describe the relationship between organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems.
4-2 Connections: The Earth’s Life-Support Systems
9. Label the following “spherical layers” of the Earth below:

Atmosphere
o
Troposphere
o
Stratosphere

Hydrosphere

Lithosphere

Biosphere
10. Life on earth depends on 3 interconnected factors:

High quality energy from the _______________.

Cycling of _______________through parts of the _______________.

Gravity, which allows the Earth to hold onto its _______________ and causes downward
movement of _______________ in the matter cycles.
11. Solar energy from the sun sustains life on earth by:

Warming the _______________ and _______________

Evaporating _______________ and cycling it through the _______________

Generating _______________

Giving plants, algae, and bacteria the energy to perform _______________
12. Certain gases (like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) hold onto heat as it radiates off
the Earth, which helps to warm the Earth’s lower atmosphere and surface. This effect is known as
the _______________ _______________.
4-3 Ecosystem Concepts & Components
13. On land, the biosphere has been classified into regions called biomes. Name and describe 4
examples of biomes:




14. Long-term patterns of weather are known as _______________ and determine what types of
_______________ will thrive in a certain land area.
15. The aquatic equivalents of biomes are known as _____________________________.
16. Label the following components of ecosystems as either abiotic (A) or biotic (B):
 Tree
 Water
 Air
 Mushroom
 Rock
17. The illustration below shows an example of the range of tolerance in temperature with a
population of fish.
 What temperatures can they tolerate?

What temperatures can’t they tolerate?
18. The limiting factor principle says that too much or too little of any _______________ can limit growth
of a population, even if all the other factors are at or near the optimum _______________ of
_______________.
19. What are 2 common limiting factors for terrestrial (land) plants?


20. What are 4 common limiting factors for aquatic (water) plants?




21. Producers (autotrophs) make their own ______________. They are the source of all food in an
______________ and make their food through the process of ______________.
22. Match the following consumers (heterotrophs) with where they get their energy:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Decomposers (detritivores)
Omnivores
Carnivores
Herbivores
1.
2.
3.
4.
Eating other animals
Eating dead organisms and waste
Eating plants
Eating plants and other animals
23. Producers, consumers, and decomposers release energy from organic compounds through the
process of ______________________________. They convert these organic compounds into CO 2 and
water in the presence of _______________ (gas).
24. Some decomposers get their energy by breaking down organic compounds in the absence of
_______________ (gas) through the process of ______________________.
25. Match the following types of biological diversity with their definition:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Genetic Diversity
Species Diversity
Ecological Diversity
Functional Diversity
1.
2.
3.
4.
Variety of biological communities
Variety of genes among individuals
Variety of biological and chemical processes
Variety of species found in different habitats
4-4 Connections: Food Webs & Energy Flow in Ecosystems
26. Why is waste (dead organisms, droppings, etc.) not really “a waste”?
27. Distinguish between a food chain and a food web by illustrating an example of each.
28. Which one is a more realistic depiction of nature: a food chain or a food web? Why?
29. In which trophic level is most of the biomass of an ecosystem located?
30. With each transfer up the food chain, about ___% of energy is lost as low-quality ________.
31. Draw a pyramid of energy flow and label each trophic level with an example species.
4-5 Primary Productivity of Ecosystems
32. What does NPP stand for and what is the formula used to determine NPP?
33. Which regions of the world have the highest NPP? The lowest?
4-6 Connections: Matter Cycling in Ecosystems
34. Match the following stages of the hydrologic (water) cycle with the correct term:
1. ____
a. precipitation
2. ____
b. surface runoff
3. ____
c. condensation
4. ____
d. groundwater
5. ____
e. ocean
6. ____
f. evaporation
7. ____
g. lake
35. What are 2 ways that humans are affecting the water cycle?
36. Where is carbon found in the:
 Atmosphere?

Biosphere?

Hydrosphere?

Lithosphere?
37. What are 2 ways that humans are affecting the carbon cycle?
38. Where is nitrogen found in the:

Atmosphere?

Biosphere?

Hydrosphere?

Lithosphere?
39. Where is phosphorus found in the:

Atmosphere?

Biosphere?

Hydrosphere?

Lithosphere?
40. Where is sulfur found in the:

Atmosphere?

Biosphere?

Hydrosphere?

Lithosphere?