Ecology & Energy Flow

Question 1

What is Ecology

Answer 1

The study of ‘Home’
Study of interactions:
organisms with each other (BIOTIC)
organisms with their physical environment (ABIOTIC)

Question 2

Laws of Thermodynamics

Answer 2

1’st Law - Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
Energy is conserved.
2n’d Law - With each energy transfer (or transformation) in a system, less energy is available to do work.
Entropy (or disorder) tends to increase in natural systems.

Question 3

Photosynthesis

Answer 3

Series of light-dependent reactions
Produces oxygen gas and glucose
Energy conversion light energy > chemical energy

Question 4

Cell Respiration

Answer 4

Process of releasing chemical energy.
Involved splitting C and h atoms from glucose
Energy conversion chemical energy > ?

Question 5

Ecosystem

Answer 5

An open system with dynamic equilibrium
constant input and output of energy
Composed of: biological community + physical environment.

Question 6

Producers

Answer 6

Organisms that produce organic material through photosynthesis

Question 7

Productivity

Answer 7

Amount of biomass produced in a given area during a given period of time.
One of the most important properties of an ecosystem

Question 8

Primary productivity

Answer 8

Photosynthesis
Basis for almost all other growth in an ecosystem

Question 9

Trophic level

Answer 9

An organism’s feeding status in an ecosystem

Question 10

Trophic Components

Answer 10

Producers (autotrophs) - Feed themselves usually through photosynthesis
Scavengers - clean up dead carcasses
Consumers (heterotrophs) - Eat other animals or plants for energy and nutrients.
Decomposers - Breakdown and recycling.

Question 11

10% Rule

Answer 11

Only 10% of energy in one trophic level is passed on to the next