Ecosystems: Energy and Cycles Flashcards
Matter is _____________ in an ecosystem.
recycled
Energy cannot be recycled…it must be constantly supplied by the _____ .
sun
Matter in an eco system includes which 4 things?
Water
Oxygen
Carbon
Nitrogen
Molecules of liquid water absorb energy and change to the gas state
Condensation
Gas changes to a liquid
Heavy drops of water that fall to Earth
Rain, snow, sleet, hail
precipitation
Produces take in carbon dioxide through the atmosphere during _________________ .
They then use this to produce other carbon containing molecules such as sugar and starch. To obtain energy from these molecules consumers break them down and release water and carbon dioxide as waste products. At the same time ______________ is cycled through the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis
Carbon
What is recycled through the atmosphere?
carbon
Organisms (like us) take in oxygen from the atmosphere and use it for their ___________ ________________
life functions
Organisms cannot use nitrogen in the air, they can only use it once is has been _______ .
fixed
Fixed nitrogen
Process of __________ nitrogen gas to a usable form.
_______________
turning
bacteria (that live in plants known as legumes) legumes are beans, peas and peanuts
The nitrogen found in the atmosphere is not in a form that plants and animals can use. What converts the nitrogen into a usable form?
bacteria
What does NOT produce carbon dioxide?
Photosynthesis
What is leaked into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned?
carbon
Volcanoes and fires vent large amounts of __________ ___________ into the sky.
carbon dioxide
Dead, organic matter is broken down and __________ __________ is released into the air.
carbon dioxide
Decaying organisms are essential for _________ to be released back into the food web.
carbon
Things that make carbon:
burning fuel
volcanoes
fires
dead matter
decaying organisms
_____________________ study eating patterns to learn how energy flows within an ecosystem.
Ecologists
What is the name of a person who studies eating patterns to learn how energy flows within an ecosystem?
Ecologist
In terrestrial ecosystems, interdependence refers to the way organisms rely on each other and their environment for survival. Give an example-
Bear (they eat the fox)
Fox (they eat the chicken)
Chicken (they eat plants)
Plants/grass/flowers
The main source of energy for the Earth’s ecosystem is-
the sun
Marine food chain:
orca
sea otter
fishes
seaweed
What is the role of the Orca in this food chain?
Third order consumer
How is phytoplankton a “primary producer”?
They concert sunlight to energy like plants do on land.
Energy moves through an ecosystem through a _________ __________.
food chain
A series of events where one organism eats another and obtains energy:
food chain
What is the bottom level of the food chain called?
Producers
ex: tree, grass, flower, crops
Second level of the food chain:
Primary consumer.
Give an example:
bugs
(eats plants)
Secondary consumers
(on the food chain)
Give an example:
mouse
(eats bugs an plants)
Tertiary consumers:
Snakes and birds
(eat mice)
When a third order consumer dies, it will most likely get consumed by:
bacteria and fungi
Which level in the food chain has the most available energy?
Producers
(plants)
