LAB #3: OUR BACKYARD ECOSYSTEM

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

the study of the distribution & abundance of living organisms & how they interact with living & non-living factors in their environment.

Question 2

What does Biotic mean?

Answer 2

living

Question 3

What does Abiotic mean?

Answer 3

non-living (soil/rocks)

Question 4

What is a population?

Answer 4

Members of the same species lving in the same geographic location using the same resources.

Question 5

What is a community?

Answer 5

Members of multiple populations living in the same geographic location.

Question 6

What is an Ecosystem?

Answer 6

It is all of the communities of plants, animals, & other organisms, & the physical environment in which they interact.

Question 7

What are the 2 main ecosystems of Peabody Park?

Answer 7

(1) Field, (2) Oak-Hickory Forrest

Question 8

Understory of Peabody Park

Answer 8

made up of pine/oak trees, understory covers ivy, dandelion, grass, moss, and liverworth

Question 9

What 2 processes occur in an ecosystem?

Answer 9

(1) Energy flows, (2) Chemical cycle

Question 10

Ultimate source of energy for an ecosystem?

Answer 10

the sun, it has light energy

Question 11

What can be done with light energy?

Answer 11

it can be captured directly by plants and used for the production of sugars in a process called photosynthesis.

Question 12

What happens to organisms that have died?

Answer 12

bacteria and fungi in the soil break down the remains, releasing heat energy.

Question 13

What do producers do?

Answer 13

they capture solar energy from the sun for the production of sugars.

Question 14

What are producers?

Answer 14

producers are usually green algae in streams and rooted plants on land

Question 15

What do consumers do?

Answer 15

consumers obtain the chemical energy stored in the plants by eating them.

Question 16

What are examples of consumers?

Answer 16

microscopic water protozoa and some of the animals, Daphnia (snail/worms)

Question 17

What are decomposers?

Answer 17

other consumers which obtain chemical energy by eating animal remains, releasing heat energy into the atmosphere.

Question 18

What are examples of decomposers?

Answer 18

some bacteria, most fungi (worms/ snails)

Question 19

Trophic levels are based on what?

Answer 19

how the organisms obtain chemical energy for itself.

Question 20

What are the Trophic levels? (terrestrial food chain)

Answer 20

Primary Producers (plants)
Primary Consumers (herbivores/insects)
Secondary Consumers (carnivores/mice)
Tertiary Consumers (carnivore/snakes)
Quaternary Consumers (carnivore/hawk)

Question 21

When do chemical cycles occur?

Answer 21

as chemicals found in living things move into living things again (ex. carbon cycle)

Question 22

Explain the carbon cycle?

Answer 22

Carbon is found in atmosphere in forms of CO2. All life-forms need carbon, but only plants directly tap into the carbon source of atmospheric CO2, which they use to create sugars AKA perform photosynthesis. CO2 released by cellular respiration.

Question 23

Carbon Cycle Diagram:

Answer 23

plants/primary consumers
cellular respiration/burning
CO2 in atmosphere
photosynthesis
process repeats

Question 24

Why is soil important in an ecosystem?

Answer 24

because it can be a source of chemicals for chemical cycles

Question 25

What is the most common ingredient in fertilizer?

Answer 25

Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium

Question 26

What do nitrates in soil do?

Answer 26

nitrates absorbed by plants through their roots, can be used to make proteins and nucleic acids, resulting in plant growth.

Question 27

How do animals & decomposers obtain their Nitrogen?

Answer 27

through food chains

Question 28

What is denitrifying bacteria?

Answer 28

it is special soil that converts nitrates back to atmospheric Nitrogen completing the cycle.

Question 29

Why is Phosphorus an important chemical for plant growth?

Answer 29

Phosphorus in rocks, which when weathered by rain, becomes part of soil in forms of phosphates, which is absorbed by plant roots.

Question 30

How do animals and decomposers get phosphorus?

Answer 30

through food chains

Question 31

What is the optimum pH for soil?

Answer 31

for soil productivity

6.0 - 6.5

Question 32

What is anoxic?

Answer 32

has no Oxygen

Question 33

What is turbidity?

Answer 33

clearness of the water.