Ecology Flashcards
(41 cards)
What are the decomposers? Give examples of decomposers- how can they do this?
decomposers ( bacteria, fungi) breakdown dead animal and plant matter by secreting enzymes into the environment.
The broken down animal/ plant cell move into mineral ions in soil. The plants roots absorb the mineral ions. then the consumers eat those plants and waste materials is released
How can decay occur most effectively?
In warm conditions- if it is too cold, chemical reactions will be too slow in microorganisms.
Moist- the moisture makes it easier for the microorganisms to digest in food and prevents them from drying out
Oxygen available- most microorganisms respire aerobically
Why is biomass lost as you go up the pyramid-
This biomass is lost due to animals requiring energy for life processes (such as respiration
Some of the material eaten by the consumer is lost as waste.
Energy is used to keep organisms warm
How can greenhouse gases help absorb energy?
Energy radiated from the sun reaches the earth, some of the radiation is absorbed by the earth ( atmosphere) in which warms the earth. some of the energy is then radiated into the space. Green house gases ( cO2 and methane) help absorb this energy
State how eutrophication occurs-
Fertilizers/ unwashed sewage wash up into the rivers.
Increase the concentration of mineral ions (such as nitrates) in the water.
Mineral ions stimulate the growth of algae and plants.
Plants/ algae die due to too much competition of light so they cannot photosynthesize.
Increase in microorganisms which break down dead plant material.
High levels of respiration cause low oxygen levels in the water.
Causing aerobic organisms (fish) to die due to low oxygen levels.
What is the source of energy in any food chain? Why?
The sun
Because producers absorb light energy from the sun, and they convert it into chemical energy which passes up the food chain.
How to calculate the percentage of biomass lost?
divide the biomass of the higher trophic level by the biomass of the lower trophic level, then multiply this by 100.
What is the percentage of sun radiation that plants and algae absorb? How do they absorb it? And why?
Plants and algae absorb about 1% of the suns energy through photosynthesis.
They need the suns energy to help produce substances such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, which makes up an organisms (plants, algae) biomass.
How does photosynthesis cause plants to absorb carbon dioxide? How does RESPIRATION cause plants to release carbon dioxide?
Photosynthesis- plants photosynthesize only during the day.plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use light energy to produce glucose. The carbon atoms from carbon dioxide are used to build glucose molecules.
Respiration- plants respire day and night. glucose reacts with oxygen to produce energy for processes (growth and repair).
A waste product of this reaction is carbon dioxide which is released into the atmosphere.
How are materials such as water and carbon dioxide consistently recycled in the ecosystem?
Respiration (organisms respire leading to CO2 to be released)
Photosynthesis (carbon dioxide is absorbed and plants use light energy to make glucose which carbon dioxide helps with)
Decay (microorganisms break down dead organisms, and they respire leading to carbon to be released as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere)
What is biomass? And is water excluded from the mass?
Biomass is the total mass of living material in an organism at a particular level in the food chain.
Yes, water is excluded from the mass
How is biomass produced in plants and animals?
In plants- biomass is produced during photosynthesis, when carbon and water are used to produce glucose. Glucose helps produce substances such as carbohydrates, fats, protein which contributes to the plants biomass.
In animals- biomass is gained by animals when they eat plants or animals, their nutrients will get stored in the animals that have eaten them, helping these animals grow, and produce energy for heat production and movement.
Why is biomass important? And how does biomass decrease as you move up the food chain?
Biomass is important because it shows how energy is stored in living organisms.
As you move up the food chain, bio mass decreases since not all of the energy is transferred to other organisms since some energy is lost due to transpiration, processes such as producing energy for heat and movement, and waste material.
Why do the pyramids of biomass get smaller at each level? And how much percentage is being passed on to the next trophic level?
Because energy is lost, so as you go up the pyramid the bars become smaller. (If they ask to draw make sure to start by drawing the consumers, primary consumers, secondary then tertiary consumers being the smallest bar) and only 10% is passed on from one trophic level to the next
How is energy lost in a food chain?How can there be less energy lost in a food chain?
Every time one organism is consumed by another, and you move up a trophic level, most of the biomass is either lost or used, and only 10% of biomass is getting transferred to the next trophic level.
If there was less organisms being involved to eat, it would lead to more biomass to be gained by the smaller amount of animals involved.
Less organisms involved= less energy lost
Where is the energy from the sun being stored in plants?
Energy is stored in the substances that make up the cell of the plant. Since these substances require energy to produce carbs, proteins,fats, etc
What are pyramids of biomass?
It shows the total living biomass present at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
What is the carbon cycle-
Constant flow of carbon in the environment and living organisms (microorganisms, animals, algae, plants)
How can the efficiency of food production be improved?
The quality and efficiency of food production can be improved by a reduced number of stages in a food chain.
How is the materials used by the living organisms returned back to the environment?
Theyre returned back as waste material
Living things die
Decay (microorganisms breakdown the dead organisms remains)
Why do the organisms remove materials from the environment?
Living organisms remove materials (food, etc) for growth, repair and other processes.
How can a community be stable and have a stable amount of materials?
Processes that remove materials (when living organisms consume foods from the environment) need to be in balance with the processes that return materials (waste materials, decay, living organisms dying.)
Why do materials decay? What conditions do microorganisms need for higher level of activity?
Decay is caused due to microorganisms breaking down the materials.
Microorganisms digest faster in warm, moist, aerobic conditions (after microorganisms breakdown the dead organisms, they respire leading to a need of aerobic conditions)
What happens when green plants and algae are eaten by consumers?
The carbon in plants transfer to the organisms that consume them.
GP and A contain carbon, some of this carbon becomes part of the fats and proteins that help build the bodies of consumers.
