Ecosystem Basics
Any living thing, an animal, plant, fungi, microbe, is called an . . .
Organism
Which of the following is a good definition of a food web?
A) How bacteria breaks down dead plants or animals
B) How solids, liquids, and gases move together in and around trees
C) How matter moves through an ecosystem and how organisms are connected
C) How matter moves through an ecosystem and how organisms are connected
The process that plants use to convert sunlight into food/energy is called . . .
Photosynthesis
What is an herbivore?
An animal that eats plants (leaves, branches, fruits, seeds, etc.)
What kind of hand motions did we use to describe the different kinds of symbiotic relationships?
Thumbs up, thumbs sideways, thumbs down
A large geographical area with a certain climate, set of plants/vegetation, and animal life is referred to as a . . .
Biome
Living things in an ecosystem fit into one of three categories based on their roles. What are those three categories
Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers
What three things do plants absolutely need to survive?
Sunlight, Water, and Air
What is a carnivore?
2) What are three examples of a carnivore?
1) An animal that eats other animals (flesh, skin, bone, organs, etc.)
2) Answers will vary
The way that two different living things live together and depend on each other is called . . .
Symbiosis
What are 3 examples of abiotic components in a typical ecosystem
rocks, water, air, temperature, sunlight, soil (sort of), minerals, ph level, etc.
Mold, mushrooms/fungi, bacteria, worms, lichen, moss, wood lice, slugs, termites, etc.
What is the name of the special substance plants have (and animals don’t) to help capture sunlight and give them their green color?
Chlorophyll
With Omnivores, what does the Latin prefix, "Omni" or "Omnes" mean?
"All"
Give the proper thumbs up, thumbs sideways, and thumbs down combinations for the three types of symbiosis
1) Mutualism
2) Commensalism
3) Parasitism
1) Double thumbs up
2) 1 thumb up, 1 thumb sideways
3) 1 thumb up, 1 thumb down
In terms like "Biome", "Biotic components", and "Biology", what does the prefix "Bio" mean?
"Life"
What are the four levels of consumers
Primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary/apex predators
1) What gas in the air do plants use to make food/energy?
2) What gas do plants give off/waste from photosynthesis that is crucial for other life?
2) Oxygen
If you had 100,000 energy at the level of producers, according to our energy flow pyramid and fractions, how much energy would you have at the level of tertiary consumers
100 Energy
What are the three categories of symbiosis/symbiotic relationships that we studies
Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism
Name 7 of the 10 Biomes we learned about
Temperate forest, Marine, Polar/Arctic, Temperate grassland, Rainforest, Taiga/Boreal forest, Tundra, Savanna, Freshwater, Desert
Place the following organisms into their proper categories of producers or consumers:
1) killer whale/orca
2) Phytoplankton
3) Krill
4) Penguin
5) leopard seal
Producer: Phytoplankton
Primary Consumer: Krill
Secondary Consumer: Penguin
Tertiary Consumer: Leopard Seal
Quaternary Consumer: Killer Whale/Orca
What 3 chemical elements are in the plant sugar glucose? The chemical formula is C6 H12 O6
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
Explain why (from an energy flow perspective) it doesn’t make sense to try to raise tertiary consumers/apex predators like wolves or lions or tigers for food.
You lose so much energy as you go up levels of the energy pyramid. You have to feed them animals like cattle or rabbits or pigs. Plus, you have to feed the cattle, rabbits, and pigs. The energy you get from wolf meat is the same as what you would get from cattle meat.
What are three examples of mutualism (symbiotic relationships) we talked about or viewed in videos in class?
1) Flowers and bees
2) Remora and sharks
3) Tarantula and frog
4) Goby fish and pistol shrimp
5) Coyote and badger
6) Nile Crocodile and Egyptian Plover (bird)
7) Acacia tree and acacia ants