Ecology
What is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment?
ecology
The primary source of energy for most ecosystems.
The Sun
the development of life in an area with no soil, starting from bare rock.
Primary Succession
When bacteria convert nitrogen gas (Nâ‚‚) into usable forms like ammonia.
Nitrogen Fixing
What illustrates how energy flows through trophic levels in an ecosystem?
Energy Pyramid
the natural environment where an organism lives
Habitat
organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis
Producers
occurs in an area where soil already exists but the ecosystem was disturbed (ex: after a fire).
Secondary Succession
What returns carbon to the atmosphere?
Cellular Respiration or Combustion
Energy decreases because most energy is lost as...
Heat
a species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem
Keystone Species
eat other organisms to get energy, helping transfer energy through the food chain.
Consumers
the first to colonize bare rock or soil (ex: lichens, mosses).
Pioneer Species
What breaks down dead matter, releasing nitrogen back into the soil?
Decomposers
Ecosystems can only support a limited number of organisms. What is this called?
Carrying Capacity
______ factors are living things in an environment
Biotic
The position an organism occupies in a food chain
Trphic Level
Succession can be triggered by...
(fires, floods, volcanic eruptions)
Natural Disasters/ Farming
Humans impact the carbon cycle by...
Burning Fossil Fuels, Deforestation, and Industrial Activities
Why is the base of the energy pyramid always the widest?
They obtain the most energy
the gradual change in ecosystems over time as species replace one another.
Ecological Succession
What % of energy is transferred between trophic levels; the rest is lost as heat.
10%
What increases over time in succession as more species colonize, creating a more complex ecosystem?
Biodiversity
How does deforestation affect the carbon cycle and contribute to climate change?
Rise in CO2
What would happen to an ecosystem’s energy pyramid if producers were drastically reduced?
The Entire ecosystem would collapse