Energy in Ecosystems
Random Ecology
Vocabulary
Trophic levels
Orca-tastic!
100
This group of organisms are always at the first trophic level, or the bottom of the energy pyramid.
Producers
100
This is the main source of energy in almost all ecosystems.
The sun
100
The collection of all of the non-living things in an ecosystem
Abiotic factors
100
This is lost as you go "up" each level in an ecosystem.
What is energy?
100
This is what the sea urchin eats.
What is kelp?
200
In this food chain:
Eagle -> snake -> mouse -> grains
This snake is this kind of consumer.
Secondary consumer
200
Due to the fact that the resources of Earth are __________, populations of animals cannot grow indefinitely.
Finite/Limited
200
A ___________ is made up of the biotic and abiotic factors in an area.
Ecosystem
200
This is the kind of organism that gets its energy from eating other organisms.
What is a consumer?
200
These are the primary producers in this ecosystem.
What are phytoplankton?
300
There are 5,000 kCal of grass available in an ecosystem. A badger is a secondary consumer in this ecosystem. How many kCal of grass are available to the badger?
50 kCal
300
These are squares used by ecologists to measure data in an ecosystem.
What are quadrats?
300
A ____________ is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate.
Biome
300
This kind of organism eats only dead or decomposing things.
What is a detritivore?
300
This is the apex predator.
What is the orca?
400
In this food chain:
Honey Badger -> Black Mamba -> Forest Cobra -> Frog -> Grasshopper -> Grass
(This is real)
What is the trophic level of the Honey Badger?
6th trophic level
400
This trophic level almost always has the largest amount of biomass in an ecosystem.
First trophic level
400
A subset of individuals of one species that occupies a particular geographic area
Population
400
These are the two kinds of autotrophs.
What are photosynthesizers and chemosynthesizers?
400
This organism is the most generalist of the species.
What is the kelp bass?
500
It is estimated that a 90 tonne blue whale has:
291,240,000 kCal.
Blue whales are secondary consumers. How many kCal of phytoplankton (producer) are needed for the blue whale?
29,124,000,000 kCal
500
This series of chemical reactions creates the necessary carbon dioxide needed for plants to photosynthesize
Respiration
500
A(n) ____________ at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own.
Apex Predator
500
This level has the smallest amount of biomass in an ecosystem.
What is the top or highest trophic level?
500
This is why there is an arrow pointing from the orca directly to the sea cucumber.
Why are sea cucumbers decomposers?