Ecological pyramids and cycles

Question 1

What are Nutrient Cycles:

Answer 1

• The flow of nutrients through food chains that are then recycled into soil by decomposers
• nutrient cycles rely on saprotrophs

Question 2

Ecological pyramid of numbers maps__

Answer 2

population size

Question 3

Ecological pyramid of biomass:

Answer 3

maps total dry mass

Question 4

Ecological pyramid of energy:

Answer 4

maps productivity of each trophic level

Question 5

Biogeochemical cycles:

Answer 5

circulate chemicals between:
environment –> organism –> environment
- important in retaining necessary nutrients in a usable form

Question 6

Major nutrients include (out of 5):

Answer 6

• water
• oxygen
• carbon
• nitrogen
• phosphorus