Vocabulary
Ecosystems
Biogeochemical Cycles
Energy
Biomes
100
The names of both the living and nonliving factors in an environment
Biotic and Abiotic
100
This is an example of a food web:
What do the arrow respresent?
The movement of energy in the ecosystem and the eating habits of predators
100
What does biogeochemical mean?
A cycle that passes through living and non living things. Bio=living Geo=non living.
100
This rule applies to the amount of energy that transfers as you move up the energy pyramid.
The 10 Percent (%) Rule
100
This terrestrial biome is one of the most difficult for survival due to its harsh cold and dry conditions
Tundra
200
These are the different positions/roles that occupy a food chain
Trophic Levels
200
An organism (usually plants) that produces its own energy
Primary Producer
200
Describe the process of nitrification. Use the diagram to help you if you need it!
Nitrification is the process that converts nitrogen in the form of ammonia to nitrites (NO2) and then nitrates (NO3).
200
Why is cellular respiration important for energy?
This process allows organisms to break down sugars from photosynthesis for energy
200
This aquatic biome is found in shallow waters by the coastline and contains one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems
Coral Reefs
300
Explain the difference between mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism
Mutualism: A relationship where both organisms benefit
Commensalism: A relationship where one organism benefits and the other remains unaffected
Parasitism: A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed
300
Which letter represents a carbon source?
A. Vegetation
B. Sedimentary Rock
C. Ocean
D. Burning of Fossil Fuels
C. Ocean
300
Which biogeochemical cycle includes the process of diffusion from the ocean and sequestration from photosynthesis?
Carbon cycle
300
What percentage of energy does an organism get when they eat another organism? What happens to the rest of the energy?
10% goes to the next organism
The remaining 90% is used to help the organism survive, grow, and reproduce or is released as heat.
300
What are the defining factors of terrestrial biomes? What are the defining factors of aquatic biomes?
Terrestrial: temperature and Precipitation
Aquatic: Salinity, depth, nutrient availability, temperature
400
Explain the difference between a food chain and a food web
A food web is all of the food chains in an ecosystem. Outlines all/most of the ways energy is transferred in an ecosystem. Food chains demonstrate one pathway of energy transference.
400
This kind of water contains a mix of fresh and salty water
Brackish
400
Explain how humans and the combustion of fossil fuels has led to an imbalance in the carbon cycle.
Carbon that was stored in coal or oil or natural gas is combusted and increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Excess carbon is released into the atmosphere from human sources, not natural sources, leading to carbon dioxide concentrations that increase faster than can be removed through photosynthesis/absorption into the ocean.
400
Calculate the NPP for a forest ecosystem where the GPP is 3,000 kcal/m2 and 20% of that energy is lost to respiration.
3,000 - (3,000 x 0.2) = 2,400 kcal/m2
400
Which terrestrial biome has the highest primary productivity per unit area?
Tropical Rain Forest
500
What is an ocean uptake?
The process where the ocean absorbs dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, acting as a significant carbon sink by dissolving the gas into seawater at the surface
500
Explain how the kangaroo rat and spear catcus would be affected by a decrease in the rattlesnake population
With less rattlesnakes the tarantula population will increase leading to a decrease in the amount of kangaroo rats in the desert ecosystem. In turn the spear catcus population would increase because there would be less kangaroo rats to eat them.
500
Describe the critical processes by which nitrogen is cycled through the biotic and abiotic components of Earth’s ecosystems and identify the primary storage sink for nitrogen.
Atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by bacteria in soil and in root nodules to produce ammonia/ammonium (some by lightning).
Ammonia is oxidized in soil by nitrifying bacteria to nitrites and then to nitrates.
Plants take up soluble nitrogen compounds through roots.
In plants, nitrogen compounds are used to produce biochemicals like protein, DNA, chlorophyll.
Denitrifying bacteria break down nitrogen compounds in the process of decomposition and release elemental nitrogen back into the atmosphere; or nitrifying decomposers break down organic nitrogen compounds, making them available to plants again in the form of nitrates.
500
Explain why most terrestrial ecosystems only have 4 trophic levels.
As we increase trophic levels- 90% of the energy in each level is used for survival or converted to heat, only 10% is passed on to the next organism. Eventually the amount of available energy is so small it can't support another trophic level
500
What biome does the climatograph describe below: Explain why you think this.
Tundra- low temperature, low rain