Biological levels of organization
List the 5 levels of biological organization from most complex (top) to least complex (bottom)
biosphere
ecosystem
community
population
individual
What is the base trophic level that all other life forms depend on for food?
producers/plants/autotrophs
Name a type of carbon found in the atmosphere
CO2 or CH4
Define adaptation
A physical trait that allows an organism to survive its environment
temperature, depth, turbidity, or water flow
A forest with oak, pine, and chestnut trees is best described as a ________________.
community
State the Law of Conservation of Energy
Energy cannot be created or destroyed
Define respiration. How does it affect the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere?
The conversion of sugar and oxygen into CO2 and water. It causes an increase in atmospheric CO2
Define isolation
When organisms of the same species are separated (isolated from each other)
Name 2 chemical properties of water
pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate level, phosphorus level
Which of the following is NOT a population?
a. a school of tuna
b. a bee colony
c. the fish living on a coral reef
d. all the pine trees on campus
c. the fish living on a coral reef - this is many different species of fish
If 2,000 kcal/m^2/year of energy is stored in herbivores in an environment, how much energy would be available to the carnivores that eat them?
200 (kcal/m^2/yr)
What role to decomposers play in the carbon cycle?
They break down biomass, releasing carbon into the air and soil.
Name an adaptation that would help an animal survive in mountains and explain how that adaptation helps.
Thick fur: protection from cold temperatures and wind
Small feet: help navigating/balancing on steep, rocky terrain
or others
If you were a fish adapted for a high oxygen environment, would you more likely live in a running creek or a swamp? Give one reason why.
Running creek - colder, moving water both cause higher dissolved O2
Classify each of the following as an individual, population, community, or ecosystem:
1. All the corals, fish, and sea plants that live on a coral reef
2. A coral growing on a reef
3. All the ringed octopus living on a reef
1. community
2. individual
3. population
Draw a 4-level trophic pyramid and label each level
bottom: producers/plants/autotrophs
2nd: primary consumers/herbivores/prey
3rd: secondary consumers/carnivores/predators
4th: tertiary consumers/carnivores/top predators
A huge part of a forest is burned. Compared to the unburned forest, would you expect the atmospheric CO2 to be higher or lower? Why?
The CO2 will be higher in the burned part of the forest, because the fire released carbon stored as biomass in the trees into the air
Cindy says, "The bigger the leaf, the more sun it catches. Since all plants need the sun to live, the best adaptation for all plants is big leaves." Give an example and explain why Cindy is wrong.
Cacti have small leaves adapted into spikes. This helps them protect the water stored in their trunks. (Other examples include small leaves on tundra plants to protect from wind desiccation).
Nitrates and phosphorus are essential to life, but having too much in an aquatic ecosystem is not healthy. Why?
too much of these encourages algae to grow, which takes over and uses up all the oxygen, killing other creatures
What is the difference between a community and an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is the community plus all the abiotic factors they interact with
Why is only 10% of the energy stored in each level passed to the next level?
Energy is used by organisms to move, maintain temperature, maintain an immune system, reproduce, etc. Only about 10% is used to grow, which is what is passed on when an organism is eaten.
How does the ocean serve as a carbon reservoir (storage area)?
CO2 in the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean, storing the carbon.
Write a claim supported by the following evidence:
Polar bears, walruses, and leopard seals all have thick blubber. Polar bears and walruses live in the Artic. Leopard seals live in the Antarctic.
Cold temperatures cause animals to develop thick blubber as an adaptation to protect against the extreme temperature (or similar).
Stream A has a pH of 7.1, dissolved oxygen of 6.9, and is slightly turbid. Stream B has a pH of 4.1, dissolved oxygen of 4.8, and is clear. Which is healthier? Why?
Stream A - even though it's a bit turbid, it has a healthy pH and dissolved oxygen, while stream B does not.