Unit 10: Ecology - Notes 1

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

study of living things interact with each other and their environment.
*the ecosystem and its organisms!!

Question 2

What does organisms require?

Answer 2

energy and matter

Question 3

What does organisms depend on?

Answer 3

their environments

Question 4

What are the two factors in environments that influence organisms?

Answer 4

abiotic and biotic

Question 5

What is abiotic?

Answer 5

nonliving parts (sunlight, soil, etc)

Question 6

What is biotic?

Answer 6

living parts (organisms)

Question 7

Ecosystem can vary in size depending on what?

Answer 7

size! a log and lake are both ecosystems!

Question 8

Where do ecosystems get energy?

Answer 8

SUn!

Question 9

Matter does not enter the ecosystem, it does what?

Answer 9

it is constantly recycled

Question 10

What is a habitat?

Answer 10

the physical environment in which a species live and to which it is adapted

Question 11

What is a niche?

Answer 11

the role of a species within its organisms (one species per niche)

Question 12

What is Competitive Exculsion Principle?

Answer 12

two different species cannot occupy the same niche in the same place for very long

Question 13

What soon enough occurs because of Competitive Exculsion Principle?

Answer 13

one species would eventually outcompete the other. If not, they can exist together if they ADAPT to different niches!

Question 14

What are producers?

Answer 14

the first step of an ecosystem is composed of organisms that can MAKE THEIR OWN FOOD

Question 15

What are photoautotrophs?

Answer 15

use energy from sunlight and make food via photosynthesis

Question 16

What are chemoautotrophs?

Answer 16

use energy from chemical compounds to make food by chemosynthesis

Question 17

What are consumers?

Answer 17

next step in an ecosystem is composed of organisms that must consumes others. HETEROTROPHS

Question 18

What are herbivores?

Answer 18

consumes producers like plants and algae

Question 19

Carnivores?

Answer 19

consumes animals

Question 20

Omnivores?

Answer 20

consumes both plants and animals

Question 21

What are decomposers?

Answer 21

break down the matter left behind by a deceased organism to recycle molecules back into environment. ESSENTIAL

Question 22

What are scavengers?

Answer 22

consume soft tissue of dead animals,
ex: vultures, racoons

Question 23

Detritivores?

Answer 23

consume “detritus”, dead leaves, animal feces, organic debris.
ex: earthworms, beettles

Question 24

Saprotrophs? examples

Answer 24

once decomposers are done, they eat the remaining organic matter, final step in decompostion
ex: fungi, bacteria

Question 25

What is a food chain?

Answer 25

shows single pathway, simple

Question 26

What is a food web?

Answer 26

represents multiple pathways, shows real life, much more realistic

Question 27

What is both food web and food chain show?

Answer 27

shows energy flow through ecosystem

Question 28

What are trophic levels?

Answer 28

feeding positions in a food web/chain

Question 29

What is the 1st trophic levels?

Answer 29

producer - makes its own food

Question 30

What is the 2nd trophic levels?

Answer 30

Primary consumer - consumes producers

Question 31

What is the 3rd trophic levels?

Answer 31

Secondary consumer - eats primary consumer

Question 32

What is the 4th trophic levels?

Answer 32

Tertiary Consumer - consumers Secondary consumer

Question 33

How much of the energy at one is available for the next level?

Answer 33

10%

Question 34

What happens to the other 90%?

Answer 34

used for metabolic processes or given off to the environment as heat

Question 35

Due to less energy at higher trophic levels what happens to the organisms?

Answer 35

There is less the more you go up

Question 36

What is biomass?

Answer 36

total mass of organisms at trophic levels, biomass decreases as trophic levels increase