Energy Flow
What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
The sun.
What is the lowest trophic level in an energy pyramid?
Producers (or primary producers)
What process converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into glucose during the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis
What process in the water cycle involves water vapor cooling and forming clouds?
Condensation.
What day does Mr. Sorensen have karaoke?
Fridays!
How does energy flow in an ecosystem?
Energy flow in one direction from producers to consumers.
What type of consumer eats both plants and animals?
Omnivore
What is the role of decomposers in the carbon cycle?
They break down dead organisms, returning carbon to the soil and atmosphere.
What is the form of nitrogen plants can use directly?
Nitrates (NO3-) or nitrites (NO2-)
Who was the first president of the United States?
George Washington
What happens to energy as it moves through the trophic levels?
Energy decreases as it moves up each trophic level.
Which trophic level has the least biomass?
The highest trophic level.
What cellular process releases carbon dioxide (CO2) back into the atmosphere?
Cellular respiration.
What is the process of a plant releasing water through its leaves?
Transpiration
What type of consumer is a hyena?
Carnivore, scavenger, or both
What happens to the energy that is lost to the environment?
It is either trapped as heat in our atmosphere or reflected back into space.
Why is there less biomass at higher trophic levels?
There is less energy available to support organisms at higher levels.
What is the impact of burning fossil fuels on the carbon cycle?
It releases additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
What process converts nitrogen gas from the atmosphere (N2) into a form plants can use?
Nitrogen fixation
Whose face is on a penny?
Abraham Lincoln
If primary producers have 240,000 Joules of energy, how much energy would be available at the third trophic level?
2,400 Joules (10% energy transfer per level)
What is an apex predator?
A animal at the top of the food chain with no natural predators.
Give 2 examples of carbon reservoirs.
Example responses: atmosphere, dissolved carbon in the ocean, fossil fuels in the geosphere.
What process converts nitrates (NO3-) into nitrogen gas (N2)?
Denitrification
How many stomachs does a pelican have?
Three! (one is just for digesting bones)