Ch2 A2

Question 1

Define the term ecosystem

Answer 1

An ecological system. A community and its physical environment treated together as a functional system. It’s composed of the organisms and physical environment of a specific area

Question 2

Explain abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem

Answer 2

Abiotic:
Solar energy provides practically all the energy for ecosystems
Inorganic substances: eg, suffer, boron, tend to cycle through ecosystems
Organic substances: such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other complex molecules form a link between biotic and abiotic components of the systems

Biotic:
The biotic components of an ecosystem can be classified according to their mode of energy acquisition
In this type of classification there are autotrophs and heterotrophs

Question 3

Show the energy flow in an ecosystem with a simple tropic structure diagram

Answer 3

Sun 
->heat.    
->consumers 
->decomposers 
Heat

Question 4

Classify the biotic components of an ecosystem according to their mode of energy acquisition.

Answer 4

Biotic
- autotrophs:
1- phototrophs
2- chemotrophs

- heterotrophs:
    1- consumers 
    2-decomposers 
           1- bacteria 
           2- fungi

Question 5

Explain the components of the food chain in an ecosystem

Answer 5

1- carnivores: animal eaters
2- herbivores: plant eaters
3- producers: plants that capture energy from the sun
4- omnivores: eat both animals and plants

Question 6

Explain the term ecosystem diversity with examples

Answer 6

The variation in the ecosystem found in a region or the variation in ecosystems over the whole planet
Example of the global scale: the variation in ecosystems such as deserts, forests, grass lands, wet lands and oceans