Life on Earth - Niche, Energy Transfers

Question 1

What is niche and what does it relate to?

Answer 1

• Role an organism plays in a community
• relates to the resources required by an organism in its ecosystem and its interactions with other organisms in the community

Question 2

Describe/define interspecific competion

Answer 2

Occurs amongst individuals of different species for one/a few resources they need

Question 3

What happens when resources are short in supply?

Answer 3

Competition occurs

Question 4

Describe/define intraspecific competition

Answer 4

Occurs amoungst individuals of the same species for all the resources they need.

Question 5

Fill in the blanks

In transfers from one level to the next in a ————, the majority of the —– is lost as ——, ———– or ————– ——–. Only —— is carried on to the next organism in the food chain

Answer 5

• food chain
• energy
• heat, movement or undigested materials
• 10%

Question 6

Describe how energy is lost as heat during transfers in a food chain

Answer 6

Mammals release energy on purpose to keep their enzymes at their optimum temperature.

Question 7

Describe how energy is lost as movement during transfers in a food chain

Answer 7

When organisms move, the chemical energy converts to kinetic and is lost to the organism.

Question 8

Describe how energy is lost as undigested materials during transfers in a food chain

Answer 8

Digestion is not 100% efficient, meaning not all energy in food can be used in the first place.