Module 1 Flashcards
What are the four biospheres of earth?
Biosphere
Geosphere (lithosphere)
Hydrosphere (water)
Atmosphere
Describe the biospheres components.
Contains all of the earth spears (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). It is a term used to represent any area on earth that is inhabited by and supports life.
Describe geosphere (lithosphere) components.
Contains the part of earth that’s solid, mainly the rocky part.
Describe the components of the hydrosphere.
Contains all water that exists on earth.
Describe the components of the atmosphere.
Contains the part of earth that is 10 km away from the earths surface (gaseous).
What form does energy enter an ecosystem in?
In the form of solar energy (light energy from the sun)
There are three allegations of the suns energy, what is the first one?
51% Of the suns energy reaches the earths surface.
There are three allegations of the suns energy, what is the second one?
19% of the suns energy is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds
There are three allegations of the suns energy what is the third one?
30% of the suns energy is reflected
What are the two types of producers that exist?
Phototrophs, and chemotrophs
Describe a phototroph.
Use the energy from the sun to create its own food.
Describe a chemotroph.
Obtain their energy from in organic compounds.
There are two laws of thermodynamics, what is the first law?
Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another.
There are two laws of thermodynamics, what is the second law?
Energy conversion is not 100% efficient. With each conversion there is less energy available to do the work. (Some energy is lost, usually as heat).
What is the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration?
The relationship between the two is that they both produce products that the other process needs in order to occur.
Name all five trophic levels.
1 levels consist of producers
2 level consists of primary consumers
3 level consists of secondary consumers
4 level consists of Tertiary consumers
5 level consists of quaternary consumers
What is the importance of decomposers in an ecosystem?
Decomposers are important because they return organic and in organic matter back into the ecosystem.
Explain why the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next is not 100% efficient.
Because through each trophic level energy is lost as heat leaving only 10% of energy to be transferred between the levels.
What are ecological pyramids?
Ecological pyramids are diagrams that provide an energy representation of the relationship among the trophic levels in a given pyramid.
What are the three types of ecological pyramids?
Pyramid of biomass, pyramid of numbers, and pyramid of energy.
What does the water cycle consist of?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Describe the pyramid of biomass.
A pyramid of biomass shows the total biomass of the organisms involved at each trophic level Of an ecosystem.
Describe the pyramid of numbers.
A pyramid a number shows the total number of individual organisms at each level in the food chain of an ecosystem.
Describe the pyramid of energy.
The pyramid of energy represents how much energy, initially from the sun, is retained or stored in the form of new biomass at each trophic level in ecosystem.