The Cycling of Matter and the Flow of Energy in Communities

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

Interactions between organisms and their environment. Two factors: biotic (living things) and abiotic (non living things) within the same environment

Question 2

List and define each level of organization within ecology

Answer 2

Species - can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Populations -same species living in the same area and interacting
Community - different populations I the same area and interact with each other
Ecosystem - biotic & abiotic (living and nonliving things) in the same area
Biome - many ecosystems with the same climate and types of communities
Biosphere - all of life, land, air, and water

Question 3

Name 2 kinds of organisms in the biosphere. Explain how each is related to each other

Answer 3

Producers- trap energy from the sun in glucose molecules (plants)
Consumers- get energy by eating producers or other organisms that ate the producers

Question 4

How is the relationship of organisms in the biosphere an advantage to the ecosystem?

Answer 4

It helps energy and matter be passed around through the ecosystem as organisms are consumed by other organisms

Question 5

What is another word for producers? How do they use energy? How does this energy move through the ecosystem?

Answer 5

Autotrophs use energy from the sun (solar energy) to make organic molecules by photosynthesis. This energy moves by consumption from one organism to another

Question 6

What is another word for consumer? What are the 5 kinds of consumers?

Answer 6

Heterotroph
Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore, Detrivore, Decomposers
(must eat another organism for food)

Question 7

What is always a 1st order consumer?
What is either a 1st or 2nd order consumer?
What is always a 2nd order consumer or higher?

Answer 7

Herbivore
Omnivore
Carnivore

Question 8

What are 2 kinds of carnivores? How do they differ from one another?

Answer 8

Predators (hunt) ex; lions, wolf, hawk

Scavengers (eat dead animals) ex; vultures, hyenas

Question 9

What organism is always a last order consumer but is usually not on the food chain? How do these organisms link the producers to the consumers? How are they involved in recycling?

Answer 9

Decomposers: they feed on dead organisms and waste products and put inorganic materials back in soil for producers to use again. They recycle the matter that organisms are made of

Question 10

Why do we examine food chains in an ecosystem? Do ecosystems typically have one food chain?

Answer 10

To see the transfer of energy and matter as organisms are eaten. More than one food chain

Question 11

What is the bottom of the food chains? Why? What are the next levels of the food chain?

Answer 11

The producers because they use the energy from the sun to make organic molecules by photosynthesis

Question 12

How is a food web different from a food chain?

Answer 12

Food web: links all the food chains in an ecosystem

Food chain: shows transfer of energy and matter through the biosphere as organisms are eaten

Question 13

What is the source of all energy on earth? What organisms use this energy?

Answer 13

Solar energy (sun). Producers use this to make food in photosynthesis

Question 14

What process converts solar energy? What is it made into? What does the organism do with this energy?

Answer 14

Photosynthesis converts solar energy into glucose

Question 15

How is chemical energy (carbs) passed to the next level?

Answer 15

Left over energy is stored and passed on by consumption

Question 16

How is chemical energy converted to chemicals? What organism does this? What happens to the chemicals?

Answer 16

Chemosynthesis uses chemical energy stored in inorganic molecules to do a process similar to photosynthesis

Question 17

Describe the movement of water through the biosphere

Answer 17

Condensation—> Precipitation—>Run off/water—>Evaporation—> Condensation

Question 18

Why is carbon required by organisms? How does it cycle through the ecosystem?

Answer 18

It’s the building block of all life and base of all organic molecules
CO2—>Photosynthesis—>Trees, plants, animals—>Cellular respiration

Question 19

Why is nitrogen required by organisms? How does it cycle through the ecosystem?

Answer 19

Air and living things, important in protein and DNA production