Spheres of the Earth & Ecology
What type of data is being gathered in the following statement?
"There were 4.2 inches of rainfall on Saturday."
Give an example of two abiotic factors.
Any two non-living parts of the environment (rainfall, temperature, soil, rocks, etc.)
Where do autotrophs get their energy?
The sun or chemical compounds
What do the arrows represent in a food chain?
The transfer of energy
A vine climbs up a tree. It steals nutrients from the tree and blocks the tree's sunlight. What is the type of symbiotic relationship between the vine and the tree?
Parasitism
Name an example of a feature in each of the Earth's spheres.
- Life (plants, animals, insects, humans, bacteria, etc.) in Biosphere
- Air (oxygen, nitrogen, ozone, wind, carbon dioxide, water vapor, etc.) in Atmosphere
- Land (rocks, minerals, soil, Earth's core, mantle, mountains, sand, metals, etc.) in Geosphere
- Water (oceans, lakes, rivers, clouds, groundwater, glaciers, etc.) in Hydrosphere
What is the place where an organism lives called?
Habitat
See image on screen. What organism in the food web is a producer?
Sunflower
An autotroph and herbivore are shown in a food chain. Which organism would the arrow point to?
The herbivore
Give an example of commensalism.
Answers will vary. ANY example you come up with will be accepted!!
Example: A tree frog uses a plant for protection/camouflage.
What is the portion of the hydrosphere that is frozen (includes glaciers and sea ice)?
Cryosphere
Koalas are found in areas that have eucalyptus trees to support their limited diet. Specialist or generalist?
Specialist
An animal is hunted by a predator, killed, and then eaten immediately. What type of consumer could have eaten it?
A carnivore or an omnivore
What is the amount of energy transferred between trophic levels?
10%
A bird cleans the teeth of a crocodile. The bird eats the parasites from the teeth while cleaning them. This is the type of symbiotic relationship between the bird and the crocodile.
Mutualism
Name one of the other disciplines (subjects) closely linked to ecology.
Biology, Chemistry, Meteorology, Engineering, Geology, Physics, or Mathematics
A group of organisms of the same species found in one area at a given time is a(n) ___________.
Population
See image on screen. What organism in the pyramid has the smallest population?
Hawk
Explain why decomposers and scavengers are found all throughout the food chain.
They are found anywhere there are dead organisms.
What is the difference between batesian and mullerian mimicry?
Batesian mimicry is when a nontoxic organism mimics a toxic organism (Coral Snake and King Snake), and mullerian mimicry is when two toxic organisms mimic each other (Viceroy and Monarch Butterflies).
Describe an example of how the Earth's spheres interact as conditions change.
Answers will vary. ANY example you come up with will be accepted!!
Example: Rain (hydrosphere) falls on the soil (geosphere), causing the grass (biosphere) to grow.
What is the difference in an organism's fundamental and realized niche?
The fundamental niche is the role an organism can occupy without competition, and a realized niche is a smaller niche an organism occupies because of competition.
What is the difference between food webs and food chains?
Food webs show overlapping food chains and are more complex.
What is the type of energy released from one trophic level to the next?
Heat energy
Name and describe two specific prey adaptations.
- Camouflage: Organisms blend into the environment.
- Batesian Mimicry: A nontoxic organism mimics a toxic organism.
- Mullerian Mimicry: Two toxic organisms mocking each other.
- Chemical Toxins: Deters predators with spray or foul taste
- Speed: Outruns predators
- Thanatosis: Plays dead to deter predators
- Physical Structures: Create a barrier.
- Warning Calls: Warns others that predators are nearby
- Mobbing/Group Behavior: Groups of prey working together to attack a predator
- Autotomy: Casting off a body part when attacked