Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
What is the source of all energy in an ecosystem?
The sun
Name three examples of primary consumers.
birds, squirrels, deer, cows, horses, ladybug, rabbit
Define the terms "biotic" and "abiotic" factors.
biotic=living things
Abiotic=non-living things
What is the definition of a population?
All the organisms of the same group or species that live in a specific area.
the conversion of one form of energy into another, or the movement of energy from one place to another
transfer
Which organisms are producers, and why are they important?
Plants, they are important because they introduce the flow of energy through the food chain
Define what a producer is in a food chain.
An organism that creates its own food, using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
List three abiotic factors in an ecosystem
soil, water, air, temperature, elevation
Explain how changes in the environment might affect a population's carrying capacity.
This disrupts the balance of the ecosystem leaving fewer resources for organisms to survive
an organism that makes its own food; also known as autotrophs
Producers
Which organisms are most responsible for recycling nutrients?
Decomposers
List the different levels of consumers in a food chain
Primary, secondary, tertiary, and decomposer
How do abiotic and biotic factors depend on each other?
Abiotic factors and biotic factors depend on each other to maintain a healthy balance in the ecosystem.
What does carrying capacity mean?
The maximum amount of organisms that an Ecosystem can comfortably support.
a large region with a certain climate and certain types of living things
How is energy transferred from the algae to the crustacean (crabs, lobster, shrimps) in this example?
The crustacean consumes the algae giving it energy, and a secondary consumer eats the crustacean.
Compare and contrast herbivores and carnivores
Herbivores only consume producers, Carnivores only eat other animals
What would happen if an abiotic factor changes or disappears?
How do limiting resources impact population growth?
Limiting factors keep organisms from reaching their full growth potential stunting growth in the population.
made up of the interaction of all living organisms (like animals, plants, and bugs) in an area with all of the non-living organisms (like water, dirt, rocks, and the sun)
Ecosystem
What would happen if one of the producers disappeared? How would it affect consumers and decomposers?
The organism that relies on that producer would decline, leaving decomposers with less biotic material to recycle.
Describe how decomposers contribute to the ecosystem
What are the long-term consequences of ecosystem destruction?
Humans lose food sources, animals lose habitats, clean water and air would decline.
Predict potential consequences of continued rapid human population growth on global resources?
Humans will continue to destroy Ecosystems as the population increases, leaving fewer resources for all living things.
anything that constrains a population's size and slows or stops it from growing
limiting factors