Interations With Ecosystem

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

The study of interactions among living organisms and between them and their physical environment.

Question 2

What is the biotic environment?

Answer 2

The living components of an ecosystem.

Question 3

What is the abiotic environment?

Answer 3

The non-living components of an ecosystem.

Question 4

What is a habitat?

Answer 4

The place where an organism lives, which can be living or non-living, natural or artificial.

Question 5

What is a population?

Answer 5

A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular habitat.

Question 6

What is a community?

Answer 6

Different populations of organisms living in the same habitat.

Question 7

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 7

Communities of organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.

Question 8

What are abiotic factors?

Answer 8

The non-living parts of an ecosystem that affect organisms.

Question 9

How do organisms adapt to abiotic factors?

Answer 9

Through physical or behavioral adaptations.

Question 10

How does light intensity affect organisms?

Answer 10

It affects plant growth and animal behavior; green plants exist only where there is sufficient sunlight.

Question 11

How does temperature affect organisms?

Answer 11

It influences metabolism; extreme temperatures can be intolerable.

Question 12

How do plants survive extreme temperatures?

Answer 12

• Storing food underground
• Shedding leaves to reduce water loss
• Producing temperature-resistant seeds

Question 13

How does water availability affect organisms?

Answer 13

It affects population size and location, depending on rainfall.

Question 14

How do plants adapt to low water availability?

Answer 14

• Reducing leaves to spines
• Storing water in fleshy stems
• Photosynthesizing through green stems

Question 15

Why is oxygen content important?

Answer 15

Most organisms require oxygen for respiration.

Question 16

How does salinity affect aquatic organisms?

Answer 16

It influences water potential in their cells and their survival.

Question 17

Why is pH important in ecosystems?

Answer 17

Most organisms can tolerate only a narrow pH range.

Question 18

What is a tolerance range?

Answer 18

The range of an abiotic factor within which a species can survive.

Question 19

What happens near the limits of a species’ tolerance range?

Answer 19

• Stress
• Reduced health
• Slower growth
• Lower reproduction rates

Question 20

Why can’t organisms survive on their own?

Answer 20

Interrelationships help maintain balance in an ecosystem.

Question 21

What is predation?

Answer 21

A carnivorous or omnivorous organism kills and eats another.

Question 22

What is parasitism?

Answer 22

One organism benefits at the expense of another.

Question 23

What is mutualism?

Answer 23

Both organisms benefit from each other.

Question 24

What is commensalism?

Answer 24

One organism benefits, while the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Question 25

Is energy flow in an ecosystem cyclic?

Answer 25

No, it is unidirectional and cannot be recycled.

Question 26

How much sunlight enters the ecosystem?

Answer 26

Only 1% of light energy is used in photosynthesis.

Question 27

What is the photosynthesis equation?

Answer 27

CO₂ + H₂O + light → O₂ + glucose

Question 28

What is a trophic level?

Answer 28

A level in the food chain where an organism feeds.

Question 29

Who are the first trophic level?

Answer 29

Producers (plants).

Question 30

Who are primary consumers?

Answer 30

Herbivores (2nd trophic level).

Question 31

Who are secondary consumers?

Answer 31

Carnivores feeding on herbivores (3rd trophic level).

Question 32

Who are tertiary consumers?

Answer 32

Carnivores feeding on secondary consumers (4th trophic level).

Question 33

Who are apex predators?

Answer 33

Top predators with no natural enemies.

Question 34

How much energy is transferred between trophic levels?

Answer 34

Only ~10%.

Question 35

How is 90% of energy lost?

Answer 35

- Heat during respiration - Uneaten body parts - Undigested matter - Excretory waste

Question 36

What is the respiration equation?

Answer 36

Glucose + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + energy

Question 37

What do decomposers do?

Answer 37

Break down organic material, releasing inorganic materials for reuse.

Question 38

What is a food chain?

Answer 38

A sequence showing the flow of energy through organisms.

Question 39

Why are shorter food chains more efficient?

Answer 39

Less energy is lost.

Question 40

Why can't food chains have more than 5 levels?

Answer 40

There isn’t enough energy to sustain life at higher levels.

Question 41

What is a food web?

Answer 41

Multiple interconnected food chains.

Question 42

Why are nutrient cycles important?

Answer 42

They recycle finite nutrients in ecosystems.

Question 43

What do decomposers do in nutrient cycles?

Answer 43

Break down organic matter, returning nutrients to the environment.

Question 44

What does the carbon cycle show?

Answer 44

The movement of carbon through ecosystems.

Question 45

What percentage of atmospheric air is CO₂?

Answer 45

0.04%.

Question 46

Why is the carbon cycle important?

Answer 46

- Provides CO₂ for photosynthesis - Enables energy flow through ecosystems

Question 47

How is carbon removed from the atmosphere?

Answer 47

- Photosynthesis - Feeding - Formation of fossil fuels

Question 48

How is carbon released into the atmosphere?

Answer 48

- Respiration - Decomposition - Combustion of fossil fuels

Question 49

What is a carbon sink?

Answer 49

A reservoir that absorbs more carbon than it releases.

Question 50

What are examples of carbon sinks?

Answer 50

- Oceans - Forests

Question 51

What is a carbon source?

Answer 51

A reservoir that releases more carbon than it absorbs.

Question 52

What is biomagnification?

Answer 52

The increasing concentration of a substance as it moves up the food chain.

Question 53

Who has the highest concentration of pollutants?

Answer 53

Apex predators.

Question 54

What is an invasive species?

Answer 54

species accidentally introduced to new areas beyond their native range, and are able to survive, reproduce, spread and cause negative effect on local biodiversity

Question 55

What are concerns with invasive species?

Answer 55

- Threat to biodiversity - Introduction of new diseases - Competition with native species - Economic and habitat loss

Question 56

What traits make invasive species successful?

Answer 56

- Fast growth - Rapid reproduction - High dispersal ability - Tolerance to many conditions - Lack of natural predators