Ecosystems
List the four levels of organization in an ecosystem, starting from a single living thing
Individual organism, population, community, and ecosystem
D/N
What do we call the relationship where organisms in a community depend on each other for survival (e.g., for food or shelter)?
Interdependence
What is the name of the square frame used to sample organisms in a specific area?
A quadrat
What term describes the variety of different species of organisms on Earth or within an ecosystem?
Biodiversity
WHEEL
Which process in the water cycle involves water turning from a liquid into a gas (vapor) due to heat from the sun?
Evaporation
D/N
What is the term for a non-living factor, such as temperature or light intensity, that can affect a community?
Abiotic Factors
WHEEL
In what type of relationship does one organism live on or in a host and cause it harm?
Parasitism
D/N
If you want to investigate how the distribution of plants changes as you move from a forest into a field, what technique should you use?
A belt transect
WHEEL
How does reforestation (planting new forests) help maintain biodiversity?
It provides new habitats and food sources for a wide range of different species
D/N
Name the group of microorganisms responsible for breaking down dead matter and releasing carbon back into the atmosphere
Decomposers
Name two biotic (living) factors that can affect the size of a population.
Competition and predation.
Give an example of mutualism, where both species benefit from the relationship.
(Accept any valid example, e.g., bees and flowers—bees get food/nectar, flowers get pollinated)
Why is it important to place quadrats randomly when estimating a population?
To avoid bias and ensure the data is representative of the whole area
D/N
What is the name of the process where excess nutrients (like fertilizers) wash into lakes, leading to oxygen depletion and the death of aquatic life?
Eutrophication
D/N
Name the four main stages of the water cycle.
Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Transpiration.
WHEEL
Name two examples of abiotic Factors.
Temperature, Light, Water Availability, Rainfall, Humidity
D/N
Salmon eat plankton and shrimp. Fishermen have been killing and collecting all the shrimp from a river. Explain how the killing of shrimp would affect the population of plankton.
Decrease as the salmon would be eating more plankton.
WHEEL
Write the formula for estimating the population size using a quadrat.
Number of Quadrats * (Total Area)/(Area of Quadrats)
Explain one negative impact that "fish farming" can have on the local ecosystem.
Waste from the fish can cause eutrophication, or parasites/diseases from the farmed fish can spread to wild populations
Describe two ways that carbon is released into the atmosphere as CO2.
Respiration (by plants/animals/decomposers) and combustion (burning fossil fuels/wood)
WHEEL
Describe the difference between a "population" and a "community."
A population is all the organisms of one species living in a habitat; a community is all the populations of different species living together in that habitat
Compare parasitism and mutualism. How are they similar and how are they different?
Both involve the survival of one organism depending on another species; however, in mutualism both benefit, while in parasitism only the parasite benefits and the host is harmed
You find an average of 5 daisies per 1m^2 quadrat. Calculate the estimated number of daisies in a field that is 100m^2
500 daisies (5 x 100)
D/N
Explain why introducing a non-indigenous (non-native) species can lead to a decrease in local biodiversity.
The new species may outcompete native species for food/resources, prey on native species, or introduce new diseases
WHEEL
Name 2 of the four main stages of the Nitrogen cycle.
Ammonification, Nitrification, Denitrification, Nitrogen Fixation