Topic 4.1 - Biodiversity and Taxonomy
Out of the following, where do you expect to find the lowest diversity?
1. Forest
2. Coral Reef
3. Arctic Circle
4. Amazon Rainforest
3. Arctic Circle.
Generally, high diversity requires warmer climate, more resources, and less competition. That is not the case in the Arctic Circle!
How much energy, in percent (%), do primary consumers receive from primary producers?
a. half (50%)
b. 25%
c. 100% if they eat the whole producer
d. 10%
d. 10%
Will there be more primary producers or top consumers in an ecosystem?
Primary producers.
What is the process called when carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen?
a. Respiration
b. Photosynthesis
c. Bacteria Fixation
d. Sublimation
b. Photosynthesis
EXTRA 100 IF YOU WRITE THE EQUATION FOR IT
DAILY DOUBLE
What are biotic and abiotic organisms? Give an example of each.
What are vertebrates and invertebrates? Give an example of each.
--> biotic = living; abiotic = non-living
Humans ; rocks
--> vertebrates = spinal cord present ; invertebrates = no spinal cord
Cats ; Jellyfish
Describe what a trophic level is by:
- where do you find trophic levels?
- how are they determined? (how is each level different from the other?)
- Related to food webs. Each food web level is a trophic level.
- Determined by the energy transfer steps in that level.
What happens to the Arctic marine ecosystem during the (dark) winter?
No sun means less photosynthesis by phytoplankton. It slows down the food web completely, to a point where animals migrate elsewhere. Aboriginal people of the Arctic rely on polar bear meat during the winter.
Oxygen is produced by ___________ and CO2 is produced by __________
a. respiration, photosynthesis
b. photosynthesis, respiration
c. fixation, decay
d. decay, fixation
b. photosynthesis, respiration
In Carolus Linnaeus' Taxonomy, which category was the broadest? Which was the most specific?
Kingdom - broadest. We have 6 kingdoms.
Species - specific. We have millions of species.
DAILY DOUBLE
What are the primary producers in the Arctic and where are they found in the Food Chain?
What makes them primary producers?
Algae or phytoplankton, found at the base/bottom.
They produce their own food! They use photosynthesis and rely on sunlight.
Describe what happens in the Arctic ecosystem during spring (when the light finally shines).
Increased daylight livens the spongy layer under the thinning ice, which allows phytoplankton to thrive and produce energy.
All of that leads to the Arctic cod to move up to the under-ice community and feed on zooplankton, which attracts birds and mammals.
This chain, or web of events, attracts bigger predators, such as orcas, humans, and some polar bears.
Name 3 places where carbon is stored on Earth.
Answers may vary;
Describe what biodiversity means. Then, explain what a population is & what a species is.
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in an ecosystem.
A population is a group of living things of the same species that live in a specific area and share the same resources.
A species is a group of organisms that have the same structure and can reproduce with one another. For example: humans.
Describe the difference between aerobic and anaerobic organisms.
Aerobic organisms require oxygen to breathe, anaerobic do not.
We discussed that 100g of whale blubber has 830 calories and to reach that same level of caloric intake, one would have to consume 800g of seal meat or 860g of spaghetti.
Why is there such a difference in the weight of the food for the same amount of calories? (draw diagram to help you explain)
Essentially, the whale's food web is much smaller than the seal's. Thus, the whale receives more energy by eating phytoplankton and zooplankton and is able to store it better. The seal has a longer food web and doesn't store energy as efficiently.
Draw a diagram to show the carbon cycle in marine ecosystems and briefly describe what happens.
Answer: Carbon enters the ocean in various ways and forms. Atmospheric CO2 is dissolved in water and is used by primary producers such as phytoplankton to make food and oxygen (photosynthesis). Zooplankton consume phytoplankton and through respiration, exert CO2 back into the ocean. Other sources of carbon are in sediments are are released from decomposition and sink into the ocean.
Describe how we use homologous and analogous characteristics to classify organisms.
Homology are common physical traits that are inherited from a common ancestor. Example – your arm and a bird’s wing. Analogy is a common trait that is not related to ancestry. For example, birds and butterflies both have wings, the similarity is only superficial because their wings are very different beneath the surface.
What is the role of decomposers in the marine ecosystem?
Decomposers, the organisms responsible for decomposing dead animal and plant matter, are able to break down organic waste back into minerals that can be used by producers.
What role do the various species of marine organisms play in the lives of aboriginal people?
Seal – food, clothing, fats for preserving.
Fish – food, clothing (!)
Whales – food, clothing, blubber (oil).
Birds – food, clothing.
Clams, mussels - food
The atmosphere contains 78% Nitrogen gas, which most living organisms cannot use. Explain how organisms consume nitrogen compounds by discussing the nitrogen cycle.
As long as you mention:
- nitrogen-fixing bacteria
- nitrogen fixation
- ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, or ammonium
- all living organisms end up dying, and the decay releases nitrogen back into the atmosphere.