Energy Through Ecosystems

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

Ecology is the scientific study of relations in the natural world. It includes:
Relationship between organisms and their environments - Physiological ecology

Relation between organisms of same species - Population ecology

Relation between organisms and different species - community ecology

Relation between organisms and matter and energy through biological systems (ecosystem ecology)

Question 2

Why is ecology studied?

Answer 2

Ecology is studied in order to understand the abundance and diversity of life within Earth’s ecosystems, or why there are plants and animals, and why are there so many types of them?

Question 3

What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

Answer 3

Abiotic or non-living things can be organized in two categories: Matter and Energy

Question 4

What are the biotic factors of an ecosystem?

Answer 4

The biotic factors or living things of an ecosystem are:

Plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, protozoans

Question 5

What are the levels of Ecology?

Answer 5

1. Species
2. Population
3. Community
4. Ecosystem
5. Biosphere

Question 6

What is a species?

Answer 6

A species is a group of individuals that are genetically related and can breed to produce fertile young.

Question 7

What is a population?

Answer 7

A group of organisms that belong to the same species that live in the same area and interact with one and other.

Question 8

What is a community?

Answer 8

A community is all of the populations of different species that live in the same area and interact with one and another. A community is composed of all of the biotic factors of an area.

Question 9

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 9

An ecosystem is an area consisting of all the living organisms in a given area, and the nonliving physical and chemical factors of their environment, linked together through nutrient cycling and energy flow.

Question 10

What is a biosphere?

Answer 10

A biosphere is a part of the planet with living organisms. The biosphere is made up of different environments and ecosystems.

Question 11

What is a biodome?

Answer 11

A biodome is a closed structure that contains an environment. Engineers create and study biodomes to better understand how living things interact with each other. Biodomes contain living and nonliving factors, made to mimic an ecosystem or an environment.

Question 12

What is a food chain?

Answer 12

A food chain is the path energy follows from producers to consumers to decomposers. In a food chain, the energy is passed on from one organism to another.

Question 13

What is a food web?

Answer 13

A food web is the map of overlapping food chains. It shows the relations between all of the species in a community. It shows how populations compete for food.

Question 14

What are producers?

Answer 14

Producers are autotrophs and photosynthetic organisms. All food webs begin with producers. Ex: grass, trees, algae.

Question 15

What are consumers? What are the two types of consumers?

Answer 15

Consumers are organisms that get their energy from producers or other organisms. There are two types,
Herbivores: Plant eaters or organisms that get their energy from the food made by other organisms.
Carnivores: Organisms that eat other organisms.
Omnivore: When an organism eats both plants and animals.

Question 16

What are predators?

Answer 16

Animals that hunt other animals for food

Question 17

What is the prey?

Answer 17

Prey is the organisms hunted by predators.

Question 18

How are populations connected?

Answer 18

Populations are connected to each other as they are dependent on each other. A change in one population affects all the other organisms in the food chain. Animals may adapt to changes in their habitat, a varied diet is useful. A change in the population affects more than just the food chain but the food web too. Food chains and food webs help scientists predict how communities will be affected by the change.

Question 19

What is Symbiosis?

Answer 19

A relationship between two organisms that lasts over a period of time.

Question 20

What is mutualism?

Answer 20

When a relationship between two kinds of organisms benefits both of them. Ex: The Yucca moth and the Yucca tree.

Question 21

What is parasitism?

Answer 21

A relationship in which one kind of organism lives on or in another organism and harms that organism. The organisms that harm the other one are called parasites.
Ex: Doddor plant

Question 22

What is commensalism?

Answer 22

The relationship in which one organism benefits from another without harming or helping it. Ex: Orchids growing on trees.

Question 23

How does energy move in a community?

Answer 23

In a community producers get their energy from the sun, consumers get it from the foods they eat. During this process, energy is lost as it passes from organism to organism. The 10% rule states that only 10% of the energy from a trophic level is passed to the next (90% is used in life processes). You can see this in an energy pyramid. It shows that there is less food at the top of the pyramid than at the base.