Definitions
Define ecology
The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
What is a food chain?
The flow of food in an ecosystem.
Where do herbivores get their energy from?
Producers.
Identify an example of a human impact on ecosystems.
Deforestation, pollution, overfishing, urbanisation, climate change.
What is a food web?
A food web is a detailed interconnecting diagram that shows the overall food relationships between organisms in a particular environment. It is a combination of food chains.
Define abiotic
Non-living components of an ecosystem.
What do the arrows point to in a food chain and food web?
Energy and nutrients being passed from one organism to the next.
The organism doing the eating.
Where do producers get their energy from?
The sun through photosynthesis.
What is a potential impact of climate change on ecosystems?
Global warming, changing weather patterns, melting ice caps or rising sea levels.
Define deforestation.
Cutting down trees for wood and to make space for agriculture and cities.
All living components of an ecosystem.
Identify the producer in the below food chain.
Grass ---> Rabbit ---> Fox
Grass
List 2 examples of a carnivore.
Teacher judgement.
What is a potential impact of deforestation on ecosystems?
Loss of habitat, climate change or soil erosion.
European rabbits, cane toads or red foxes.
Define ecosystem.
Interaction between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) things within a particular environment.
What is another name for third-order consumer?
Tertiary.
List 3 examples of a producer.
Teacher judgement.
Identify what would happen if a producer was removed from a food web.
Herbivores would have no source of food. Their population would dramatically decrease and eventually become extinct. This would have a flow on effect on all other consumers in the food web.
What is a trophic level?
A trophic level is the group of organisms within an ecosystem which occupy the same level in a food chain.
Define photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a process by which plants and certain other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.
Identify the second order consumer in the below food chain.
Leaf---> Caterpillar --->Eagle ---> Eagle
Eagle
In an energy level pyramid, identify the position of herbivores, carnivores, and producers.
Carnivore
Herbivore
Producer
(Order on triangle)
Identify what would happen if a third order consumer was removed from a food web.
The population of the second order consumer would increase (overpopulation) as they would have fewer predators.
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Light --> Oxygen + Glucose