Ecosystem Ecology

Question 1

what is an ecosystem

Answer 1

a particular location on Earth distinguished by its particular mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components

Question 2

how do ecosystems interact with one another

Answer 2

through the exchange of matter and energy

Question 3

what is an autotroph

Answer 3

organism that uses energy from the environment to make chemcial energy

Question 4

what is a consumer

Answer 4

obtains energy by consuming other organisms

Question 5

what is a primary consumer

Answer 5

consumes producers

Question 6

what is secondary consumer

Answer 6

obtains energy by eating primary consumers

Question 7

what is a teritary consumer

Answer 7

eats secondary consumers

Question 8

what is a quaternary consumer

Answer 8

eats teritary consumers

Question 9

what is an omnivore

Answer 9

eats both animals and plants

Question 10

what is a detritivore

Answer 10

eats dead organisms

Question 11

what is a decomposer

Answer 11

chemically breaks down dead organisms

Question 12

what is the typical maximum amount of terrestrial trophic levels

Answer 12

4 to 5

Question 13

what is the typical amount of trophic levels in aquatic systems

Answer 13

5 to 6

Question 14

what is a food chain

Answer 14

sequence of consumption from producers through teritary consmers

Question 15

what is a food web

Answer 15

more realistic type of food chain that takes in account of the complexity of nature

Question 16

what is GPP

Answer 16

total amount of solar energy that producers capture through photosynthesis over time

Question 17

what is NPP

Answer 17

energy captured minus energy respired by producers

Question 18

what is biomass

Answer 18

energy in an ecosystem is measured in terms of biomass

Question 19

what is a standing crop

Answer 19

amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

Question 20

what is ecological efficiency

Answer 20

proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

Question 21

what is a trophic pyramid

Answer 21

representation of the distribution of biomass among trophic levels

Question 22

what is the biosphere

Answer 22

combination of all ecosystems on earth

Question 23

what are biogeochemical cycles

Answer 23

movement of matter withing and between ecosystems

Question 24

what does CHONPS stand for

Answer 24

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfure

Question 25

what is eutrophication

Answer 25

when phosphorus causes rapid growth of algae which uses up oxygen, causing dead zones

Question 26

what is a disturbanc e

Answer 26

event caused by physical chemical or biological agents that results in changes in population size or community composition

Question 27

what is resistance

Answer 27

measure of how much a disturbance can affect its flows of energy and matter

Question 28

what is resilience

Answer 28

rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Question 29

what is the immediate disturbance hypothesis

Answer 29

states that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of distrbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels

Question 30

what are provisions

Answer 30

goods that humans can use directyl

Question 31

what are regulating services

Answer 31

service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions

Question 32

what are support systems

Answer 32

support services that natural ecosystems provide

Question 33

what are cultural services

Answer 33

ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people

Question 34

what is intrinsic value

Answer 34

worth independent of any benefit it may provide to humans

Question 35

what is the first law of thermodynamics

Answer 35

energy can not be created or destroyed

Question 36

what is the second law of thermodynamics

Answer 36

entropy of any isolated system always increases

Question 37

what is the third law of thermodynamics

Answer 37

as temperature approahces absolute zero, entropy of system approaches constant minimum

Question 38

what is the zeroth law of thermodynamics

Answer 38

if two thermodynamic systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third one, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other