Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

bio flashcards 2024 > Ecosystem > Flashcards

Ecosystem Flashcards

1
Q

An ______ can be visualised as a functional unit of nature, where living organisms interact among themselves and also with the surrounding physical environment

A

Ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Ecosystems are divided into two basic categories, namely:

A

Terrestrial and aquatic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Examples of terrestrial ecosystem are:

A

Forest, grassland and desert

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Pond, Lake, weland, river and estuary are included in which category of ecosystem?

A

Aquatic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Name two man-made ecosystems

A

Crop fields and aquarium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Transfer of energy in an ecosystem occurs through _______ and ______

A

Food chains/webs; nutrient cycling

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Interaction of ______ and ______ components result in a physical structure that is characteristic for each type of ecosystem

A

Biotic; abiotic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Vertical distribution of different species occupying different levels is called?

A

stratification

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

_______ occupy top vertical strata or layer of a forest

A

trees

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Bottom vertical strata of a forest is occupied by ______ and _____

A

Herbs; grasses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

The abiotic components of a pond are _____ and ____

A

Water; soil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Phytoplanktons, algae and plants are the ____ components of the pool

A

autotropic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

_______ is a consumer of the pond ecosystem

A

Zooplankton

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

The decomposers of the pond ecosystem are _____, ______ and _______

A

Fungi; bacteria; flagellates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

In an ecosystem, inorganic material is converted into organic material with the help of ______ energy of the sun by the autotroph

A

radiant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

In an ecosystem, _____ are consumed by heterotroph

A

autotrophs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

There is unidirectional movement of energy towards the _____ trophic levels in an ecosystem

A

higher

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Constant input of which energy is the basic requirement for any ecosystem to function and sustain is

A

Solar energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

The amount of biomass or organic matter produced per unit area over a time period by plants during photosynthesis is called :

A

Primary production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Primary production is expressed in terms of:

A

Weight(gm^-2) or energy (kcal m^-2)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

The rate of biomass productivity is called:

A

productivity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Productivity is expressed in terms of:

A

gm^-2 yr^-1 or (kcal m^-2)yr^-1

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

_________ productivity of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic matter during photosysnthesis

A

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Gross primary productivity minus respiratory losses is equal to

A

Net primary productivity (NPP)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

______ productivity is the available biomass for the consumption of heterotrophs

A

Net primary productivity (NPP)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

The rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers is called?

A

Secondary productivity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

The annual net primary productivity of the whole biosphere is approximately _____ tons (dry weight) of organic matter

A

170 billion tons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

The productivity of the oceans in biosphere are only _____ tons

A

55 billion tons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

_______ help in thr breakdown of complex organic matter as well as in loosening of the soil

A

Earthworms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Decomposers breakdown complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water and nutrients and the process I’d called?

A

decomposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

The raw material for decomposition is called:

A

detritus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

The important steps in the process of decomposition are:

A

Fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

The process of breaking down detritus into smaller particles is called:

A

fragmentation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

The process by which water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts is called?

A

Leaching

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

During the process of catabolism in decomposition, detritus is degraded into simpler inorganic substances by ______ and ______

A

Bacterial; fungal enzymes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

During decomposition, fragmentation, leaching and catabolism take place on:

A

detritus

37
Q

Humification and mineralisation occur during decomposition in the _____

A

soil

38
Q

Humification leads to accumulation of dark coloured amorphous substances called:

A

humus

39
Q

Humus is highly resistant to _____ action

A

microbial

40
Q

Humus serves as a reservoir of nutrients due to its ____ nature

A

colloidal

41
Q

The humus is degraded by microbes and inorganic nutrients are released by the process known as

A

mineralisation

42
Q

Atmospheric gas required for decomposition is:

A

oxygen

43
Q

The rate of decomposition is controlled by chemical composition of _____ and climatic factors

A

detritus

44
Q

In a particular climatic condition, decomposition rate is slower if detritus is rich in ____ and _____

A

Lignin; chitin

45
Q

In a particular climatic condition, decomposition rate is quicker if detritus is rich in ____ and _____

A

Nitrogen; water-soluble substances (such as sugar)

46
Q

The two most important climatic factors that regulate the process of decomposition are:

A

Temperature and soil moisture

47
Q

Warm and moist environment _____ the rate of decomposition

A

increases

48
Q

Low temperature and _____ inhibit the process of decomposition

A

anaerobiosis

49
Q

Which part of the incident solar radiation is captured by autotrophs?

A

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

50
Q

Plants capture only _____ of Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

A

2% to 10%

51
Q

The green plant in the ecosystem are called:

A

producers

52
Q

In a ______ ecosystem, major producers are herbaceous and woody plants

A

terrestial

53
Q

Major producers of aquatic ecosystem are various species like ___, ____ and ____

A

Phytoplankton; algae and higher plants

54
Q

Food chains/ webs are formed because of the _____ of food among organism

A

interdependency

55
Q

Death of organism is the beginning of the ____ food chain/ web?

A

Detritus food chain/ web

56
Q

When animals consume plants directly, they are called ___ consumers.

A

primary

57
Q

When animals eat other animals which in turn eat the plants, they are called ______ consumers

A

Secondary consumers

58
Q

______ are some common herbivores of aquatic system

A

Molluscs

59
Q

Animals that depend on the primary carnivores for food are called?

A

Secondary carnivores

60
Q

The consumers that feed on herbivores are called ______ carnivores but ______ consumers

A

Primary; secondary

61
Q

________ organisms are decomposers in terms of mode of nutrition?

A

Heterotropic organism

62
Q

Decomposers are also known as :

A

Saprotrophs

63
Q

In a terrestrial ecosystem, a much larger fraction of energy flows through the detritus food chain than through the ______

A

Grazing food chain

64
Q

Some of the organisms of _______ are prey to the _____ animals.

A

Detritus food chain; Grazing food chain

65
Q

In a natural ecosystem, some animals like cockroaches, are omnivores. These natural interconnection of food chains make it a _________

A

Food web

66
Q

Based on the source of their nutrition or food, organism occupy a specific place in the food chain that is known as their ______

A

Tropic level

67
Q

_________ belongs to first tropic level

A

Producers

68
Q

________ belongs to the first tropic level, _____ to the second and ______ to the third .

A

Producers; herbivores; Carnivores

69
Q

The amount of energy _______ at successive tropic levels

A

decreases

70
Q

Each tropic level has a certain mass of living material at a particular time called as the:

A

Standing crop

71
Q

The biomass of a species is expressed in terms of fresh or _______

A

Dry weight

72
Q

Only ____ per cent of the energy is transferred to each tropic level from the lower tropic level

A

10 per cent

73
Q

Food and energy relationship between organism is expressed in terms of ______, ______ or _____

A

Number; biomass; energy

74
Q

The base of each pyramid represents the _____

A

producers

75
Q

The base of a pyramid is broad and it narrows towards the ______

A

apex

76
Q

Energy at a lower tropic level of a food chain is always ______ than at a higher tropic level

A

more

77
Q

The pyramid of biomass in ____ is inverted

A

sea

78
Q

Pyramid of biomass in sea is inverted because biomass of _____ exceeds that of phytoplanktons

A

fishes

79
Q

Pyramid of ____ is always upright

A

energy

80
Q

Which pyramid does not take into account food webs?

A

Ecological

81
Q

The organisms which are not given any place in ecological pyramids are:

A

saprophytes

82
Q

Mark A, B and C in the following diagram.

A

A) food web; B) leach; C) decomposition

83
Q

Mark A, B, C and D in the following diagram.

A

A) Tertiary consumer;
B) Birds, fishes, wolf;
C) Primary consumer;
D) Phytoplankton, grass, trees

84
Q

Mark A, B, C and D in the following diagram.

A

A) Plants;
B) Herbivores;
C) Carnivores;
D) Top carnivores

85
Q

Identify the type of pyramid in a grassland ecosystem in the figure

A

Pyramid of numbers

86
Q

Identify the type of pyramid in the figure

A

Pyramid of biomass

87
Q

Identify the type of pyramid in the figure

A

Pyramid of energy

88
Q

Mark A, B, C, D and E in the following figure

A

A) Consumers;
B) Detritus;
C) Decomposition;
D) Weathering;
E) Rock minerals

bio flashcards 2024 (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions