Ecology

1. Explain the words.

Ecosystem: An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms work
together to form a bubble of life. Ecosystems contain biotic and abiotic factors.

Biotic factor: A biotic factor is a living organism that shapes its environment. Biotic and abiotic
factors work together to create a unique ecosystem. 

Abiotic factor: An abiotic factor is a nonliving part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment.

Population: A population is group of organisms of a species that interbreed and live in the same
place at the same time.

Autotroph: An autotroph obtains energy and nutrients by sunlight through photosynthesis and
obtain chemical energy through oxidation to make organic substances from inorganic ones.

Heterotroph: A heterotroph is an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and
nutrients.

Saprotroph: Saprotroph consists of organisms that feed on nonliving organic matter known as
detritus at a microscopic level.

Herbivore: An herbivore is an organism that feeds mostly on plants. 

Carnivore: A carnivore is an organism that eats mostly meat.

Predator: A predator is an organism that consumes all or part of the body of another–living or
recently killed–organism, which is its prey. 

Prey: The prey in any ecosystem refers to the animals eaten by other animals. Different
ecosystems are home to different prey species.

Detritivore: A detritivore is an organism that eats dead or decaying plants or animals as food.

Decomposer: The organisms that carry out the process of decay or break down of the dead
organism and the process of breaking down complex organic matter into its simpler form is
referred to as decomposition.

Producer: Producers are organisms that can make their own energy through biochemical
processes.
Primary Consumer: Primary consumers make up the second trophic level. They are also called
herbivores. They eat primary producers–plants or algae–and nothing else.
 Secondary Consumer: Secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers for
energy. Secondary consumers can either be carnivores or omnivores. Carnivores only eat other
animals, and omnivores eat both plant and animal matter.

2. Draw a food chain that contains at least four species for a terrestrial ecosystem.

3. Draw a food web that contains at least eight species for a marine or limnic ecosystem.

4. Only 10% of the energy consumed by an animal is generally stored. Where does the rest of
energy go?
The amount of energy at each trophic level decreases as it moves through an ecosystem. As little
as 10 percent of the energy at any trophic level is transferred to the next level; the rest is lost
largely through metabolic processes as heat.

5. Explain the importance of carbon and its flow through the world ecosystem. 
 The carbon cycle is important in ecosystems because it moves carbon, a life-sustaining element,
from the atmosphere and oceans into organisms and back again to the atmosphere and oceans. 

6. What happens when the flow of carbon cycle becomes unbalanced and what is generally the
cause of this unbalance?
Plants use sunshine and carbon dioxide gas to grow, animals eat plants and breathe out carbon
dioxide, and organic matter releases carbon dioxide as it decomposes or burns. Human activities,
especially conventional farming activities and burning fossil carbon as fuel, have distributed the
carbon cycle’s balance, leading to more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere than
is being taken up by plants. 

7. Describe the importance of nitrogen and the nitrogen cycle. 

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for the production of amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, etc.
Nitrogen is primarily absorbed through the fine roots as either ammonium or nitrate. Nitrogen is
found in soils and plants, in the water we drink, and in the air we breathe. As for the importance
of the nitrogen cycle, it helps bring in the inert nitrogen from the air into the biochemical process
in plants and then to animals. Plants need nitrogen to synthesize chlorophyll and so the nitrogen
cycle is absolutely essential for them.

8. What is eutrophication and what are the consequences?

Eutrophication, the increase in the concentration of phosphorus, nitrogen, and other plant
nutrients in an aging aquatic ecosystem. The productivity or fertility of such an ecosystem
naturally increases as the amount of organic material that can be broken down into nutrients
increases. Eutrophication encourages the growth of algae. These form a green bloom over the
water surface, preventing sunlight from reaching other water plants. These plants die because
they are unable to carry out photosynthesis. Bacteria decompose the dead plants, respiring and
using up the oxygen in the water as they do this.  

9. Why is phosphorus important for living organisms?

Phosphorus is fundamental to all living things. It is essential for the creation of DNA, cell
membranes, and for bone and teeth formations in humans. In the past, as part of a natural cycle,
the phosphorus in manure and waste was returned to the soil to aid crop production.

10. Describe the greenhouse effect and the consequences of global warming.

The incoming radiation from the sun is short wave ultraviolet and visible radiation. The
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb some of this infrared radiation and re-reflect it back
towards the earth. This causes the greenhouse effect and results in an increase in average mean
temperatures on earth. The consequences of global warming are many such as change in or loss
of habitats due to these extreme weather events. Some effects of global warming include: More
frequent and severe weather, higher death rates, dirtier air, higher wildlife extinction rates,
more acidic oceans, and higher sea levels.