Water Quality & Ecosystems
What is water quality, and why is it important?
Water quality determines which organisms can survive in an ecosystem. Good water quality supports healthy growth, while poor water quality stresses or kills aquatic life.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate is long-term atmospheric conditions, while weather is short-term changes.
What is the first organism in every food chain?
A producer (plant/autotroph).
What is symbiosis?
A close relationship between two species.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! Why do we never run out of matter on Earth?
Matter cycles continuously.
Name three factors that affect water quality.
Dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, nitrates, and conductivity.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! Name two factors that influence climate.
Latitude, altitude, ocean currents, and wind patterns.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! What do the arrows in a food web represent?
The flow of energy from one organism to another.
Name the three types of symbiosis.
Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism.
What process removes CO₂ from the atmosphere?
Photosynthesis.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! What happens to dissolved oxygen levels during decomposition and respiration?
Oxygen levels decrease because these processes use up oxygen.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! Give an example of a physical adaptation.
Polar bears have thick fur for insulation.
How much energy is transferred to each level in an energy pyramid?
10%
Give an example of mutualism.
Bees and flowers, antelopes and oxpeckers, etc.
What process adds CO₂ to the atmosphere?
Respiration, combustion, and decomposition.
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of organisms an environment can support.
What is a behavioral adaptation? Give an example.
Actions that help survival, like birds migrating.
Why are there fewer organisms at higher trophic levels?
Less energy is available as you move up the food chain.
What is predation?
When one organism hunts and eats another.
What is the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle?
They break down waste and dead matter into ammonia.
What happens when a population exceeds carrying capacity?
The population declines due to resource depletion.
How do desert plants adapt to their environment?
They store water in thick stems and have small leaves to reduce water loss.
What happens if a tertiary consumer population decreases?
Secondary consumers increase, primary consumers decrease, and producers increase.
Give an example of a predator-prey relationship.
A snake eating a mouse.
How does nitrogen return to the atmosphere?
Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates back to nitrogen gas.