Ecosystem Roles
This organism makes its own food using sunlight.
producer (autotroph)
The original source of energy for most ecosystems.
the Sun
What is the process where liquid water turns into gas?
evaporation
The element that forms the basis of all life.
carbon
A region defined by its living and nonliving characteristics.
a biome
This type of consumer eats only plants.
herbivore
This shows how energy moves from one organism to another in a single path.
a food chain
What is the word for water vapor turning into liquid water?
condensation
The process where plants turn carbon dioxide into glucose.
photosynthesis
A biome that contains saltwater organisms like plankton and algae.
a marine biome
This organism breaks down dead matter and returns nutrients to the environment.
decomposer
What percentage of energy is passed to the next trophic level?
10%
What is the word for water falling from clouds to Earth? What are the 4 types?
precipitation; rain, snow, sleet, and hail
The process that makes nitrogen usable for plants.
nitrogen fixation
Excess nutrients in water causing algae growth and low oxygen levels.
eutrophication
Explain the difference between a scavenger and a decomposer.
scavengers eat dead organisms, while decomposers chemically break them down
Why is there less energy at higher trophic levels?
most energy is lost as heat and used for life processes
The process where plants release water vapor. Through where do they release the water vapor?
transpiration; stomata (holes that open and close) located in the bottom of their leaves
Two ways nitrogen fixation occurs.
bacteria and lightning (high-energy events)
How can invasive species impact ecosystems?
they disrupt balance by competing with native species and altering food webs
A consumer that eats both plants and animals and how it gets energy.
an omnivore that gets energy by consuming both producers and other consumers
Explain how a food web is different from a food chain and why it is more realistic.
a food web shows multiple interconnected feeding relationships, making it more accurate than a single pathway
Describe three possible paths water can take after precipitation reaches Earth.
runoff into bodies of water, infiltration into groundwater, or evaporation back into the atmosphere
Explain how humans disrupt the carbon cycle. (Double the points if you remember the name of what effect this causes.)
burning fossil fuels releases excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Explain two ways ecosystems can change over time.
climate change, natural disasters (like floods or earthquakes), human activity, or introduction of new species