Chapter 56

Question 1

What are abiotic components in an ecosystem?

Answer 1

non-living components; ex. water, temp, sunlight

Question 2

What are biotic components in an ecosystem?

Answer 2

living components of an ecosystem; ex. plants, animals, bacteria

Question 3

What are the 3 biogeochemical cycles?

Answer 3

Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle

Question 4

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 4

The process of moving carbon between Earth’s atmosphere, ocean, land and living organisms

Question 5

What is carbon fixation?

Answer 5

reactions that make nongaseous compounds from gaseous ones; CO2 to organic componds

Question 6

Water can be synthesized during __________ in the water cycle.

Answer 6

cellular respiration

Question 7

Water can be broken down during _________ in the water cycle.

Answer 7

Photosynthesis

Question 8

What are aquifers?

Answer 8

permeable, underground layers of rock, sand, and gravel saturated with water that have a upper and lower layer; lower layer can be tapped by wells

Question 9

What element is usually a limiting nutrient?

Answer 9

Nitrogen

Question 10

What is nitrogen fixation?

Answer 10

synthesis of nitrogen containing compounds from N2 gas

Question 11

What is Nitrification?

Answer 11

going form N2 to NH3 to NO3-

Question 12

What is denitrification?

Answer 12

going from NO3- to N2

Question 13

What is the phosphorus cycle?

Answer 13

the process where phosphorus moves through the environment, primarily from rocks to soil, then into plants and animals, and eventually back into the soil through decomposition

Question 14

What is a limiting nutrient?

Answer 14

a weak link or nutrient that is in short supply in a ecosystem that limits the growth of one or more organism

Question 15

What is an autotroph?

Answer 15

A primary producer or organism that makes it’s own food

Question 16

What are chemoautotrophs?

Answer 16

Autotrophs that use the oxidation of inorganic compounds for energy

Question 17

What are heterotrophs?

Answer 17

consumers or organisms that get food from plants or animals

Question 18

What are scavengers?

Answer 18

organisms that feed on decaying organisms

Question 19

What are detritivores?

Answer 19

decomposers that break down dead plants and animals

Question 20

What are tropic levels?

Answer 20

the position of an organism in a food web or step in a food chain

Question 21

What is more accurate a food web or chain?

Answer 21

food web because it shows more interactions

Question 22

energy ______ as it passes down the food chain.

Answer 22

decreases

Question 23

Energy from the sun is lost as ______ when going to ecosystems.

Answer 23

heat

Question 24

What is trophic cascade?

Answer 24

When a effect moves up or down a ecological pyramid; when a upper level influences two or more levels below