Chapter 13

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

The science of living living organisms in relation to one another in their environment. (The study of the ecosystem)

Question 2

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 2

Self contained area which include all living living organisms (biotic) and their physical non - living (abiotic) environment.

Question 3

What is the flow of energy through living organisms?

Answer 3

• Chlorophyll in chloroplasts of plants trap light energy and uses it during photosynthesis.
• during photosynthesis, light energy is converted to chemical energy in plants.
• chemical energy is stored in organic food molecules.
• animals eat the plant and obtain the organic molecules during nutrition.
• during respiration, energy released by living organisms.

Question 4

What is the flow of energy called and why?

Answer 4

Energy flows in only one direction
Organisms loose or use energy
Energy does not flow back to return to the sun
Not recycled in the ecosystem

Therefore it it called a non-cyclical flow

Question 5

What is a producer?

Answer 5

Makes its own organic nutrients through photosynthesis.

Responsible for input of energy for ecosystem

First trophic level

Question 6

What is a consumer?

Answer 6

Gets energy by feeding on other organisms

Depend on food made by producers

Unable to utilize light energy for synthesis of food, obtain it by eating other organisms.

Question 7

What is a herbivore?

Answer 7

Gets energy by eating plants

Primary consumers, feed on producers, adapted to eating plant material.

Adapted mouth parts to deal with tough plant materials

Question 8

What is a carnivore?

Answer 8

Gets energy by eating other animals
Secondary, tertiary, quaternary consumers
Diet-meat
Specially adapted mammals - mammalian carnivores have powerful claws and special dentition for tearing flesh

Question 9

What is an omnivore?

Answer 9

Gets its energy by eating other animals and plants
Secondary, tertiary, quaternary consumers
Mixed diet of plant and animal material
Adapted - mammalian omnivores dentition allows eating plants and flesh

Question 10

What is a decomposer?

Answer 10

Gets energy form dead or waste organic material

Obtain nutrients by feeding on very small lumps of organic material, breaking them down into simpler substances and by doing so, make nutrients available for producers. (Decomposition)

Cause return of nutrients to environment - involved in biochemical nutrient cycles

Clean up environment by decomposing dead animals

Fungi putrefying

Question 11

What are trophic levels?

Answer 11

Positions of organisms in the food chains, food web or ecosystem.
It is the feeding level in a food chain, web, ecosystem.
Position of organism in chain, where it obtains its food.
Energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next higher level.

Question 12

What are the different trophic levels?

Answer 12

Producers 1st
Primary consumers 2nd
Secondary consumers 3rd
Tertiary consumers 4th
Quaternary 5th

Question 13

What is a food chain?

Answer 13

Shows way in which energy flows from sun to plants, eaten by animals, eaten by other animals until you get the top of the food chain.

All energy comes form the sun

Question 14

What is a food web?

Answer 14

Shows:
Number of food chains interlinked
Feeding relationships between organisms
Most animals can have more than one food source
Flow of energy from producers to consumers

Question 15

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Answer 15

Biotic factors include living parts

Abiotic factors include non-living parts

Question 16

What is a biotic factor?

Answer 16

Anything that is, has been alive.
Animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, organic molecules, cells.
Biotic material is material coming form living organisms

Question 17

What is Abiotic factors?

Answer 17

Anything that is not alive.
Non-living physical elements in ecosystem.
Water, precipitation, air, temp, soil, rocks, sunlight, minerals.