Key Terms
This group of organisms create their own food through photosynthesis.
Producers/ Autotrophs
This term refers to cold regions of the world, regions with this description are on the opposite temperature range of the tropics.
Arctic or boreal
What direction does the arrow point in a food web or chain?
Toward the consumer (the one eating)
Can two different organisms have the same niche?
What is the difference between a food chain and food web?
Food web shows multiple possible food sources/predators/ is more complex
This term refers to an organism's role in the ecosystem. It includes its habitat, diet, trophic leve, and other species interactions.
Niche
What biome do we live in?
Temperate Deciduous Forest
How much energy is transferred up to the next trophic level at each step?
10%
What happens when two organisms have the same or very similar niches?
Competition
How can an areas geography change its biome?
Higher elevations have lower temperatures
What is a decomposer?
An organism that breaks down waste and returns energy to the soil
Why are aquatic ecosystems not defined by the climate like terrestrial biomes?
Rainfall does not affect them very much, resistant to temperature changes.
Draw a trophic pyramid including the following organisms from the ankarana region: Crocodiles, figs, and crowned lemurs. Label each group
Producers = figs (bottom)
primary consumers = lemurs (middle)
secondary consumer = crocodiles (top)
What are the 3 possible results for organisms competition for the same role (niche)?
Extinction/death, adaptation/evolve, emigration
What is the biosphere?
The portion of the Earth that all life can be found on. (The entire planet's ecosystem)
A __________ is defined as an area classified by its annual climate and organisms found within it.
Biome
Draw a simple biome chart, label the both axes, and show where a tropical desert would be.
Axes = avg temp + avg precip
Tropical desert at the highest temp and lowest precipitation range
Describe why there is a loss of energy at each stage of the trophic chart.
Organisms at higher levels need to use more energy to consume/catch their prey and need to use energy to digest food.
What 4 key attributes determine an organisms niche?
Diet, trophic level, species interactions, habitat.
What is an estuary?
Where rivers/streams meet the ocean
What is the difference between a community and population?
Community includes all the organisms in an area while population is just one species.
This aquatic ecosystem is defined by having acidic soil and being dominated by mosses and carnivorous plant.
Bog
Draw a 5 organism food web for our local ecosystem.
Answers will vary but must include only local species
What term refers to one organism changing it's niche to avoid competition with another species?
Niche partitioning
What biome could be described as a tropical grassland?
Savanna