Energy
All energy in any ecosystem originates from this source.
What is the Sun?
Identify three abiotic factors you may encounter in a marine ecosystem.
Answers vary but may include: Water, substrate (sand/rock/mud etc.), rock, waves, wind, sunlight, pH, water temperature, turbidity, density, salinity, currents, haloclines, thermoclines, etc.
This is a species which can act as a "poster child" for a cause.
What is a flagship species?
This organism eats other organisms for energy.
What is a heterotroph?
This is a system that assigns two names to organisms.
What is binomial nomenclature?
What are primary producers? (or autotrophs)
This term describes a job or role that each organism within an ecosystem has.
What is a niche?
This is a species whose needs encompass the needs of the entire ecosystem (take care of this, take care of all).
What is an umbrella species?
This is a close, consistent interaction between two organisms.
What is symbiosis?
This is the broadest taxonomic classification.
What is domain?
These organisms return organic substances from dead tissue back to the environment.
What are decomposers?
This term describes the hierarchy of nutrition/energy that exists in an ecosystem.
What is trophic level?
This type of species creates habitats for others just by performing its role.
What is an ecosystem engineer?
In this relationship, one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
What is parasitism?
The four kingdoms of the domain eukarya are:
What are Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista?
An ecosystem initially has 4,000,000 Kcal of biomass available on the first trophic level. This is the amount remaining for tertiary consumers.
What is 4,000 Kcal?
A group of organisms that are physically similar, and can mate and produce viable, fertile offspring.
What is a species?
This species is the single most important organism in an ecosystem.
What is a keystone species?
In this relationship, one organism benefits and one is unaffected.
What is commensalism?
What two taxonomic classifications give an organism its scientific name?
What is Genus, species?
This diagram illustrates the energy flow between all organisms in an ecosystem.
What is a food web?
This is one of two distinct "versions" of an ecosystem that can exist. It is difficult to change from one to the other.
What is a stable state?
This species gives a picture of how healthy or unhealthy an ecosystem is.
What is an indicator species?
In this relationship, both organisms benefit.
Recite all of the taxonomic classifications in order, and the pneumonic used to remember them:
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species