CULMINATING Biology Flashcards
(14 cards)
What are the main trophic levels in a food web?
Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, top carnivores
Producers are typically plants, primary consumers are herbivores, secondary consumers include omnivores and carnivores, and top carnivores are the apex predators.
What percentage of energy passes from one trophic level to the next?
10%
This is known as the 10% Rule in ecology.
What is the process of photosynthesis represented by?
Carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen
Photosynthesis is essential for converting solar energy into chemical energy.
What is exponential growth in population dynamics?
Rapid growth without constraints
This type of growth continues until resources become limited.
What is carrying capacity?
Maximum population size the environment can sustain
It is determined by the availability of resources.
What are limiting factors in population dynamics?
Factors that control population size
These can be density-dependent or density-independent.
What are density-dependent factors?
Disease and competition
These factors become more intense as the population density increases.
What are density-independent factors?
Weather and natural disasters
These factors affect population size regardless of density.
What do predator-prey graphs illustrate?
Cyclical population dynamics between predator and prey
These graphs show how predator populations fluctuate in response to prey populations.
What roles do producers play in an ecosystem?
Make energy
Producers are the starting point of energy flow in food webs.
Fill in the blank: ______ eat producers.
Herbivores
Herbivores are the primary consumers in food webs.
What do omnivores eat?
Both producers and consumers
Omnivores can be found at multiple trophic levels.
What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
Break down dead matter
Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
How do all the roles in a food web contribute?
Maintain ecosystem balance
Each organism’s role is crucial for the stability of the ecosystem.
