11.1 Flashcards
What is biomass?
The total mass of living organisms in a given area or ecosystem.
What is productivity in an ecosystem?
The rate at which producers (like plants) convert solar energy into chemical energy (biomass) through photosynthesis
What is efficiency in an ecological context?
How well energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. usually about 10% is passed on
What are the inputs of photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂), water (H₂O), and sunlight.
What are the outputs of photosynthesis?
Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂)
What are the inputs of cellular respiration?
Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂)
What are the outputs of cellular respiration?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂), water (H₂O), and energy (ATP)
What types of organisms perform photosynthesis?
Plants, algae, and some bacteria (autotrophs)
What types of organisms perform cellular respiration?
Almost all organisms—including plants, animals, fungi, and most bacteri
What does a pyramid of energy show
The flow of energy at each trophic level in an ecosystem (always upright)
What does a pyramid of numbers show?
The number of individual organisms at each trophic level
What does a pyramid of biomass show?
The total mass of organisms at each trophic level
Why is it more efficient to eat at a lower trophic level?
Less energy is lost; more energy is available when eating producers directly.
Why does each trophic level have less energy than the one below it
About 90% of energy is lost as heat, waste, or used for life processes
In what type of ecosystem would you expect high productivity and high biomass?
A tropical rainforest (due to high sunlight and water availability)
What happens to the energy available to organisms as you move up the energy pyramid?
It decreases significantly—only 10% is passed on to each level
