Ecosystems quiz Flashcards

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred and transformed.

Energy is transferred from the sun to photosynthetic organisms and then inefficiently between organisms, with most energy lost as heat.

Energy flows through ecosystems and is continuously lost, while matter is recycled within ecosystems.

Primary producers are autotrophs that generate biomass from inorganic matter, forming the foundation of food chains.

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the ecosystem and acting as recyclers.

A trophic cascade occurs when a predator controls the population of prey, indirectly affecting the next trophic level, such as wolves controlling elk populations in Yellowstone.

GPP is the total energy generated by primary producers, while NPP is the energy remaining after subtracting the energy used for respiration.

In aquatic ecosystems, light penetration and nutrient availability limit primary production, while in terrestrial ecosystems, temperature and water availability are the main limiting factors.

The 10% rule states that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level.

Biomagnification is the process where toxins become more concentrated at higher trophic levels in a food web.

The water cycle is the flow of water above, on, and below the Earth's surface, and it is crucial because all living things require water to function.

An aquifer is a porous layer of rock that stores groundwater.

The carbon cycle is the flow of carbon through the abiotic and biotic components of the biosphere, involving processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants, essential for supporting primary producers.

The phosphorus cycle tends to recycle locally within ecosystems, primarily involving rock and soil, unlike the more far-reaching water and carbon cycles.