4 Energy And Matter In Ecosystems

Question 1

Cellular respiration

Answer 1

Where glucose and oxygen react, and produce CO2 and water; the energy released is used to convert ADP to ATP.

C6 H12 O6 + O2 => CO2 + H2O + energy (ATP)

It is a metabolic process which both producers and consumers go through.

Question 2

Ecological niche

Answer 2

The roll an organism plays in an ecosystem and the conditions it requires to persist (E.g food resources, feeding activities spatial habitat and reproduction relationships)

Question 3

Nitrogen fixation

Answer 3

The process where atmosphere nitrogen (gas) is combined to form ammonium or nitrate ions before living things can make use of it for growth, all nitrogen fixing organisms are prokaryotes

Question 4

Photosynthetic efficiency

Answer 4

-Photosynthetic efficiency refers to the amount of light energy plants and algae that are able to convert into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

-This can range from 0.1% to 8% depending on plant species.

Question 5

how does light energy enter an ecosystem

Answer 5

light energy enters an ecosystem via photosynthetic producers such as plants like algae, which are plants that manufacture food in the form of organic matter using the energy of the sun

Question 6

What are autotrophs

Answer 6

autotroph meaning ‘self-feeders’ are producers that are able to synthesise organic compounds (nucleus acids, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) from in organic raw materials

Question 7

photosynthesis

Answer 7

the biochemical process that producers (autotrophs) use to transform energy in sunlight into chemical energy.

6CO2+6H2O→C6H12O6+6O2

Question 8

heterotrophs

Answer 8

living things that cannot synthesise their own organic compounds (food) from inorganic materials

Question 9

the 10% ecology rule

Answer 9

The 10% ecology rules states that only about 10% of energy at one trophic level is passed onto the next.
The remaining 90% is lost to the surroundings as heat energy and chemical energy in wastes

Question 10

competitive exclusion principle

Answer 10

the competitive exclusion principle states that two similar species that compete for a resource cannot coexist in the same community

Question 11

what is the carbon cycle

Answer 11

the carbon uncle is a biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of earth

Question 12

Biomass

Answer 12

the total mass of organic matter at each trophic level.
biomass is just another term for potential energy (energy is to be eaten)

Question 13

ecological pyramid

Answer 13

-shows the relationship between consumers and producers at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
-shows the relative amount of energy or matter contained at each trophic level
-the pyramid shows what level has the most energy and highest number of organisms

Question 14

define a food chain

Answer 14

-food chains shows the relationship in which energy and nutrients are transferred from plants to consumers.

-the arrows in a food chain represents the direction of flow of energy.

Question 15

food webs

Answer 15

show all the interacting and interconnecting food relationships, while food chains only show one chain of energy consumption

Question 16

competitors

Answer 16

compete for a resource between or within species

Question 17

collaborators

Answer 17

members of a group that help each other catch prey

Question 18

inTERspecific interaction

Answer 18

a relationship between members of a DIFFERENT species

Question 19

inTRAspecific

Answer 19

relationships between members of the SAME species

Question 20

Symbiosis

Answer 20

the relationship between 2 organisms from different species and at least 1 benefits

Question 21

trophic level

Answer 21

-a trophic level is each step in the transfer of energy
-main trophic levers are producers, consumers and decomposers

Question 22

numbers pyramid

Answer 22

represents the number of organisms that make up each trophic level.

Question 23

biomass pyramid

Answer 23

represents the mass (weight) of all living organisms within that trophic level

Question 24

human impact on carbon cycle

Answer 24

humans impact the carbon cycle by -burning (especially fossil fuels).
-leaving fewer plants (meaning less CO2 removed from atmosphere during photosynthesis)
-farming (cows release large amounts of methane)

Question 25

What is gross primary productivity?
(GPP)

Answer 25

GPP is a term used to describe the total amount of energy that flows through all producers, measured in kilojoules per meter squared per year

Question 26

Fundamental niche

Answer 26

The ideal niche a species would occupy without competition, predators or parasites

Question 27

Realised niche

Answer 27

The actual niche a species inhabits

Question 28

Resource partitioning

Answer 28

Devision of resources amongst a species

Question 29

Keystone species

Answer 29

Species which plays a vital roll in an ecosystem and effects many other species in communities even if it’s not abundant.
Prevents organisms from lower trophies levels from monopolising food and space resources.

Question 30

What do nitrifiers do

Answer 30

Nitrifiers are bacteria. They convert decaying material to nitrites and nitrates.