Chapter 1

Question 1

How does energy enter the biosphere?

Answer 1

Energy enters through photosynthesis

The energy produced in photosynthesis is then converted to cellular respiration to ATP by ALL living organisms

Question 2

Cellular respiration formula

Answer 2

C6H12O6 + 6O2 –> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

Question 3

Photosynthesis Formula

Answer 3

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

Question 4

Consumers

Answer 4

Also known as heterotrophs

They are organisms that need to obtain energy from other organisms

Question 5

Fermentation

Answer 5

The energy releasing process for a small number of species (usually bacteria) that live in anaerobic environments

Question 6

Anaerobic

Answer 6

Without oxygen

Question 7

Aerobic

Answer 7

With oxygen

Question 8

Producers

Answer 8

Also known as autotrophs

They are organisms that are able to create their own food and energy

Question 9

The sun

Answer 9

Most of the sun’s energy does not reach the earth. only 1-2% are captured by producers while is reflected or absorbed

Question 10

Outcomes of sun’s energy

Answer 10

about 30% is reflected from clouds, particles in the atmosphere, or from the land or ocean surface back into space

about 19% is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere

about 51% warms the planet’s surface

Question 11

Albedo

Answer 11

refers to the amount of energy that is reflected from a surface.

Question 12

High Albedo

Answer 12

Light-coloured, reflective surfaces or thick clouds return a large part of the sun’s rays back to the atmosphere

Question 13

Low Albedo

Answer 13

Dark surfaces like treetops and water absorb the rays from the sun

Question 14

Photosynthetic producers

Answer 14

capture the Sun’s energy and convert it to chemical energy (glucose).

Question 14

Chemosynthetic producers

Answer 14

capture the chemical energy stored in chemical bonds and convert it to chemical energy (glucose).

Question 15

How can organisms be identified

Answer 15

• how they obtain their food and the kind of food they eat (producers, herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers)
• type of food-maker or food consumer(producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers)
• TROPHIC LEVEL - the feeding level through which energy or matter travels. The FIRST Trophic level is always producers.

Question 16

Consumers

Answer 16

eat other organisms for energy.

Question 17

Primary consumers

Answer 17

eat autotrophs.

Question 18

Secondary and Tertiary consumers

Answer 18

eat other heterotrophs.

Question 19

Decomposers

Answer 19

consume dead organic material (and feed on ALL trophic levels)

Question 20

Food Chains

Answer 20

shows the linear pathway through which energy is transferred from producers to primary consumers and to progressively higher feeding levels

Trophic levels are easily identified on a food chain

Question 21

Food Web

Answer 21

shows a more realistic picture of how energy transfer occurs and includes many interrelated food chains.

Question 22

Laws of Thermodynamics

Answer 22

“energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another”(law 1)

“No energy transformation is completely efficient, much of it is lost as heat.” (law 2)

Question 23

How much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?

Answer 23

Only part of the available energy from one trophic level can be transferred to the next.

Question 24

Rule of 10

Answer 24

ecologist assume that 10% of the energy available at a particular trophic level is transferred to the next.

Question 25

Where does lost energy go?

Answer 25

• dissipated as heat
• cannot be digested
• Some instead die without being eaten

Question 26

Ecological pyramids

Answer 26

describe quantitative relationships between trophic levels.

Question 27

Pyramid of Numbers

Answer 27

• is based on the number of organisms in each trophic level.
• the width of bars represent numbers

Question 28

Drawbacks in pyramid of numbers

Answer 28

is that it doesn’t take into account the size of organisms

Question 29

Can the pyramid of numbers be inverted?

Answer 29

Yes, with one tree supporting many consumers

Question 30

Pyramid of Biomass

Answer 30

is based on the biomass of organisms in each trophic level.

Question 31

What is Biomass?

Answer 31

is the dry mass of living or once-living organism per unit area

Question 32

Advantage of Pyramid of Biomass

Answer 32

BETTER representation because this takes into account the size of the organisms

Question 33

Can the pyramid of biomass be inverted?

Answer 33

We see an inverted pyramid of biomass in ocean ecosystems.

• the biomass of the producers (phytoplankton) can be much less than the biomass of zooplankton

Question 34

Pyramid of Energy

Answer 34

is based on the total amount of energy in each trophic level.

Question 35

Advantage of Pyramid of Energy

Answer 35

Good at depicting why food chains are restricted in size

Question 36

Can a pyramid of energy be inverted?

Answer 36

NO! there can never be less energy in a lower trophic level than in a higher one
(even in the ocean ecosystem)

Question 37

Bioaccumulation

Answer 37

Increase in concentration of a pollutant in an organism

Question 38

Biomagnification

Answer 38

Increase in concentration of a pollutant in a food chain