SuperTeacherTools

Ecology Review Answer Key

Play This Game


Food Webs and Food Chains
#1 What is the difference between Food Webs and Food Chains? Food webs show the complex interaction between Food Chains. Food Chains shows a single line of producers and consumers.
#2 Name and describe the different trophic levels. The base of the food web are the producers. Producers are organisms that make their own food. The levels above the producer are consumers. The consumers eat other organisms to obtain energy.
#3 What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph? An autotroph makes its own food. Heterotrophs obtain their food from other sources.
#4 Describe the difference between an omnivore, carnivore, and herbivore. Omnivores eat plants and animals, carnivores eat animals only, herbivores eat plants only.
#5 What is the role of decomposers in a food web? To break down materials into smaller nutrients that can be absorbed by other organisms.
Energy Pyramids
#1 Where do producers obtain energy? The sun.
#2 What percent of energy is moved between trophic levels? 10 percent
#3 If the producer has 1000 kilocalories, how much energy would a quarternary consumer gain in this food chain? 0.1 kilocalories
#4 Why isn't more energy transferred between trophic levels? Much of the energy is lost to heat.
#5 Why do top carnivores have to eat more individual organisms than primary consumers? Because they obtain a smaller amount of energy from each individual.
Habitats, Ecosystems and Biomes
#1 What are the defining characteristics of a biome? A biome is defined by its vegetation and climate patterns. Soil is also important characteristic.
#2 List the levels of organization. organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere.
#3 What are defining characteristics of a temperate forest biome? deciduous forest, cold winters
#4 Is a river a standing water biome or flowing water ecosystem? Flowing water biome.
#5 Describe habitat and give an example. Habitat is a place where an organism lives. IT can be described by the vegetation, type, or physical location. An example of a box turtles habitat would be pond and its associated shoreline.
Biodiversity and threats
#1 What is does biodiversity mean? Biodiversity is the total variety of life in an area
#2 How does greater biodiversity benefit humans? Provides a source of fresh air (oxygen), clean water, food, recreation, medicine
#3 List 5 threats to biodiversity Pollution, Habitat Loss and Fragmentation, Invasive Species, Global Climate Change, Overexploitation of resources.
#4 Describe biolgoical magnification. Biological magnification is when an inorganic chemical is concentrated in a top carnivore as it feeds on lower levels of the food web that have this chemical in their tissues.
#5 How does habitat fragmentation contribute to a loss in biological diversity? Habitat fragmenation reduces the amount of habitat and resources available to a species. In addition, species lose genetic diversity as small populations are isolated in smaller habitats.
Succession
#1 What does succession mean? An orderly change in vegetation over time.
#2 Where does primary succession occur? Primary succession occurs on surfaces that have not had living material previously (Rock). If soil is present, it is not likely a site of primary succession.
#3 Where does secondary succession occur? Secondary succession occurs where organisms have previously lived. Soil must be present for secondary succession to occur.
#4 What kinds of disturbance can contribute to secondary succession? forest fires,storms, abandoned farmland
#5
Final Question
Describe how the study of ecology contributes to a better understanding of the environment around us. The study of ecology allows us to understand how abiotic and biotic factors interact and create and change the existing environment, and provides us the opportunity to make predictions about the environment.