Energy and Ecosystems Ch.13

Question 1

What is the ultimate source of energy for organisms?

Answer 1

sunlight

Question 2

Biomass

Answer 2

the total mass of living material in a specific area at a given time.

Question 3

Producers

Answer 3

photosynthetic organisms that manufacture organic substances using light energy, water, carbon dioxide and mineral ions.

Question 4

Consumers

Answer 4

organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms rather than using the energy of sunlight directly.

Question 5

Whats a word for decomposers?

Answer 5

Saprobionts

Question 6

Saprobiontic decomposers

Answer 6

a group of organisms that break down complex materials in dead organisms into simple ones.

Question 7

What two organisms are saprobiontic decomposers?

Answer 7

fungi and bacteria

Question 8

Food chain

Answer 8

The relationship in which producers are eaten by primary consumers, eaten by secondary consumers and then eaten by tertiary consumer.

Question 9

Trophic level

Answer 9

Each stage in the Food chain

Question 10

what is omnivore?

Answer 10

an animal that eats both plants and animals.

Question 11

Is primary consumer herbivore, carnivore or omnivore?

Answer 11

herbivore

Question 12

Is secondary consumer herbivore, carnivore or omnivore?

Answer 12

carnivore

Question 13

what’s drymass?

Answer 13

mass of an organism excluding water as it the mass of water is unreliable so unreliable

Question 14

How can you measure chemical energy stored?

Answer 14

Use a calorimetry (bomb calorimetry).

Question 15

Describe how and explain why the efficiency of energy transfer is different at different
stages in the transfer.

Answer 15

• Some light energy fails to strike the plant (not
  appropriate wavelength)
• Efficiency of photosynthesis in plants is 2%
• Respiratory loss/excretion/not eaten;
• Loss as heat
  -Efficiency of transfer to consumers approximately 10%;
• Efficiency lower in warm blooded animals

Question 16

Explain how the intensive rearing of domestic livestock increases net productivity.

Answer 16

• Slaughtered when young so more energy transferred
• Controlled diet so more food is absorbed
• Movement restricted so less respiratory loss
• Kept inside so less heat loss
• Genetically selected for high productivity