Ecological Hierarchy
What is one individual living thing called?
An organism
What term describes the living parts of an environment?
Biotic factors
Which terrestrial biome contains permafrost?
Tundra
What type of organism makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis?
A producer or autotroph
According to the 10% rule, approximately what percentage of energy passes to the next trophic level?
About 10%
What is an invasive species?
A non-native organism that causes harm in its new environment.
What level consists of organisms of the same species living and reproducing in the same area?
A population
What term describes the nonliving or physical parts of an environment?
Abiotic factors
Which terrestrial biome receives less than 25 centimeters of precipitation per year and contains many water-storing plants?
Desert
What type of consumer eats producers?
A primary consumer or herbivore
If producers contain 10,000 kJ of energy, how much energy is available to primary consumers?
1,000 kJ
Name one way humans can accidentally introduce an invasive species.
Shipping, travel, cargo, or imported goods
What level includes all the different populations living and interacting in one area?
A community
Is rainfall a biotic or an abiotic factor?
An abiotic factor
Which biome has warm temperatures, very high rainfall, and the greatest biodiversity?
Tropical rainforest
In which direction do the arrows point in a food chain?
Toward the organism receiving the energy
If primary consumers contain 2,500 kJ of energy, how much is available to secondary consumers?
250 kJ
Why can invasive species sometimes reproduce and spread rapidly in a new ecosystem?
They may have few or no natural predators there.
What level includes a community and the nonliving parts of its environment?
An ecosystem
Give three examples of biotic factors in an ecosystem.
Answers may include animals, plants, fungi, protists, and bacteria.
What type of aquatic biome has less than 1% salinity?
Freshwater biome
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain shows one pathway of energy transfer, while a food web shows several interconnected food chains.
Where does most of the remaining 90% of energy go?
It is used in metabolism, movement, growth, reproduction, and cellular respiration or is released as heat and waste.
How can an invasive species reduce biodiversity?
It can prey on or outcompete native species, causing their populations to decline or become extinct.
Place these levels in order from smallest to largest: biome, population, biosphere, organism, ecosystem, community.
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
How could a change in an abiotic factor affect the organisms in an ecosystem?
It could change their access to resources or alter their ability to survive and reproduce.
What is an estuary?
An aquatic ecosystem where freshwater meets saltwater, producing brackish water.
What important role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
They break down dead organisms and return nutrients to the environment.
Beginning with producers containing 45,000 kJ, how much energy would be available to quaternary consumers?
4.5 kJ
(45,000 → 4,500 → 450 → 45 → 4.5 kJ)
Name two methods that can be used to control invasive species.
Answers may include trapping, controlled burns, biological controls, prevention, education, or habitat restoration.