Transfer of Energy and Matter in the Biosphere

Question 1

What is an organism?

Answer 1

A single or individual living species

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

A group of individuals of the same species

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

More than one population living in a defined area

Question 4

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 4

All of the organisms that live in the area and environment

Question 5

What does the term biosphere refer to?

Answer 5

Refers to all areas on Earth that are inhabited by life

Question 6

Define: Biotic

Answer 6

The living parts of the biosphere

Question 7

Define: Abiotic

Answer 7

The non living components of the biosphere
(ex. temperature, soil, weather)

Question 8

What does the lithosphere refer to?

Answer 8

Land

Question 9

What does the hydrosphere refer to?

Answer 9

Water

Question 10

What does the atmosphere refer to?

Answer 10

Air

Question 11

The biosphere needs energy to preform what processes?

Answer 11

Reproduction, maintenance, growth and development

Question 12

How is energy released?

Answer 12

From ATP

Question 13

What processes require energy to be released by ATP

Answer 13

• Cellular respiration (aerobic - with O2)
• Fermentation (anaerobic - without O2)
• True anaerobic respiration (bacteria)

Question 14

Energy in the bioshpere is stored through ___________.

Answer 14

Photosynthesis

Question 15

How much energy from the sun is absorbed by the Earth’s surface?

Answer 15

51%

Question 16

How much energy from the sun is reflected by clouds, water and land?

Answer 16

30%

Question 17

How much energy from the sun is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds?

Answer 17

19%

Question 18

How much energy from the sun is captured by producers on Earth?

Answer 18

1-2%

Question 19

Define: albedo

Answer 19

The amount of reflected solar energy from the earth back into space.

Question 20

How does colour effect the albedo of something?

Answer 20

Light colours = high albedo
Dark colours = low albedo

Question 21

What areas have the highest albedo?

Answer 21

Ice and snow covered areas

Question 22

Define: Autotroph

Answer 22

Obtain energy from the sun or chemical energy in order to make their own food and sustain themselves (AKA producers)

Question 23

What are the two types of autotrophs?

Answer 23

Photosynthetic and chemosynthetic

Question 24

How do photosynthetic producers obtain energy? Why?

Answer 24

They obtain energy from the Sun in order to produce their own food through photosynthesis

Question 25

How do chemosynthetic producers obtain energy? Why?

Answer 25

They use chemical energy stored in molecules to produce their own food through chemosynthesis

Question 26

Define: Heterotrophs

Answer 26

An organism that obtains the energy it needs from the consumption of other autotrophs and/or heterotrophs (AKA consumers)

Question 27

What is the Rule of 10?

Answer 27

Ecologists assume only 10% of the energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next

Question 28

What does the Pyramid of Numbers represent?

Answer 28

The number of organisms at each trophic level within an ecosystem

Question 29

When might a Pyramid of Numbers be inverted?

Answer 29

When a large consumer feeds many smaller primary consumers, less large consumers are needed which inverts the pyramid

Question 30

What does the Pyramid of Biomass represent?

Answer 30

The dry mass of living, or once-living organisms per unit area (usually measured in g/m2)

Question 31

What does the Pyramid of Biomass indicate?

Answer 31

The amount of energy available at each trophic level

Question 32

When might a Pyramid of Biomass be inverted?

Answer 32

This usually occurs in oceanic ecosystems when the producers reproduce at a fast rate, but are consumed just as quickly

Question 33

What does the Pyramid of Energy represent?

Answer 33

The total amount of energy that is transferred through each trophic level

Question 34

When might a Pyramid of Energy be inverted?

Answer 34

Never

Question 35

What is the most accurate pyramid? Why?

Answer 35

Pyramid of Numbers because both the Pyramids of Biomass and Energy are estimated (Biomass - difficult to define, Energy - rule of 10)

Question 36

What is biomagnification?

Answer 36

The buildup of substances in the bodies of organisms at higher trophic levels

Question 37

What are the first 5 trophic levels?

Answer 37

1. Producer
2. Primary consumer
3. Secondary consumer
4. Tertiary consumer
5. Quaternary consumer

Question 38

Define: equilibrium

Answer 38

The balance of matter and energy exchange in the biosphere involving living organisms and non-living components.

Question 39

Define: productivity

Answer 39

The rate at which an ecosystem’s producers capture and store energy over time

Question 40

Define: homeostasis

Answer 40

Organisms’ ability to maintain internal conditions despite external factors

Question 41

What is the Gaia Hypothesis

Answer 41

The idea that the Earth acts as an organism; it needs a constant input of energy and cycling of nutrients to maintain its internal balance

Question 42

What do nutrient reservoirs do?

Answer 42

Bank/stores nutrients

Question 43

What are the four types of nutrient reservoirs?

Answer 43

• Living and recently dead organisms (biotic, easily accessible)
• Atmosphere, soil, and water (abiotic, accessible)
• Fossilized remains of organisms (biotic, not easily accessible)
• Minerals in rocks (abiotic, unavailable)

Question 44

How is water vapour harmful?

Answer 44

Traps heat in the atmosphere and transfers it around the plant (greenhouse gas)