Ecology, Chapter 5

Front 1

Photosynthesis

Back 1

*Energy from the sun enters an ecosystem when a plant uses sunlight to make sugar molecules in this process.

Front 2

What happens during photosynthesis?

Back 2

*plants, algae and some bacteria capture the solar energy.
* the solar energy drives the chemical reactions that require carbon doixide, water.
*RESULTS: the production of carborhydrates, or sugar molecules that is need to carry out daily activities.

Front 3

How is energy transfered from one organism to another?

Back 3

*as organisms consume food and use energy from carbohydrates, the energy travels from one organism to another.
*when an animal eats a plant, some energy is transferred from the plant tot he animals.
*organisms use this energy to move, grow and reproduce.

Front 4

Producers to Consumers

Back 4

*when a rabbit eats a clover plant, the rabbits gets energy from the carbohydrates the clover plant made. When the coyote eats the rabbit, some of the energy is transferred from the rabbit tot he coyote.
**The clover is the producer***

Front 5

Producer
**can be called autotrophs***

Back 5

*an organism that makes its own food

Front 6

Consumers
***can be called hetertrophs**

Back 6

*organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms.
*get energy indirectly from the sun by eating producers or other consumers.

Front 7

Deep-ocean ecosystems

Back 7

*photosynthesis cannot occur and organisms can not get their energy from photosynthesis.
*Bacteria lives in some of these organisms and use hydrogen sulfide to make their own food.
*Bacteria is eaten by other underwater organisms and thus support a thriving ecosystem.

Front 8

Decomposers

Back 8

*Fungi and bacteria
* breaks down dead organisms in an ecosystems in an ecosystem and returns nutrients tot the soil, water and air.

Front 9

Cellualar respiration

Back 9

*The process of breaking down food to yield energy
*During respiration, cell absorb oxygen and use it to release energy from food.
*cellular respiration is used to carry out daily activities.

Front 10

Energy transfer

Back 10

*each time one organism eats another organism, a transfer of energy occurs.
**Food chains, food webs and trophic levels tell us how much energy is transferred.

Front 11

Food chains

Back 11

* a sequence in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next as each organism eats another organism.

Front 12

Food Web

Back 12

*shows the feeding relationships that are possible in an ecosystem.

Front 13

Trophic level

Back 13

* shows steps through which energy is transferred in a food chain.
* each time energy is transferred from one level to another, energy is lost as heat and less energy is available to the organism at the next trophic level.
***90% of the energy at each trophic level is used and 10% of the energy becomes part of the organisms body and is stored in its molecules.

**** only 10% is available for the next trophic level******

Front 14

How energy loss Affects an Ecosystem

Back 14

*Because so much energy is lost at each trophic level, there are fewer organisms at the higher trophic levels.
*the loss of energy from trophic level to trophic level limits the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem.
*rarely more than 4-5 levels because of the amount of energy lost between levels.

Front 15

4 biochemical cycles by which materials in an ecosystem are refused

Back 15

1. water cycle
2. carbon cycle
3. nitrogen cycle
4. phosphorous cycle

Front 16

Anything living or once living contains this atom

Back 16

*carbon

Front 17

Carbon is an essential component of which groups of macromolecules?

Back 17

*proteins, fats, carbohydrates, nucleic acids

Front 18

Carbon cycle

Back 18

*process that cycles CO2 in the atmosphere, land, H2O and in organisms.

Front 19

What role do plants play in the carbon cycle?

Back 19

*convert atmospheric CO2 into organic molecules by photosynthesis.

Front 20

4 biochemical cycles by which materials in an ecosystem are refused

Back 20

1. water cycle
2. carbon cycle
3. nitrogen cycle
4. phosphorus cycle

Front 21

Anything living or once living contains this atom

Back 21

*carbon

Front 22

Carbon is an essential component of which groups of macromolecules?

Back 22

*proteins, fats, carbohydrates, nucleic acids

Front 23

Carbon cycle

Back 23

*process that cycles CO2 in the atmosphere, land, H2O and in organisms.

Front 24

What role do plants play in the carbon cycle?

Back 24

*convert atmospheric CO2 into organic molecules by photosynthesis.

Front 25

What is meant by the statement, some carbon enters a long term cycle?

Back 25

*some carbon is converted into carbonate which makes up bones and shells.
*bones and shells do not break down easily.

Front 26

How are fossil fuels formed?

Back 26

*From carbon compounds from once living organisms.

Front 27

How does driving a car affect the carbon cycle?

Back 27

*It increases atmospheric levels of CO2 beyond the amount plants can use.

Front 28

What is causing the increased level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Back 28

*cars, factory, power plant omissions.

Front 29

How many increased levels of atmospheric carbon doixide contribute to global warming?

Back 29

*an increased concentration of atmospheric CO2 raises the temp of earth, which is the greenhouse effect.

Front 30

The air we breathe contains what percentage of nitrogen?

Back 30

78%

Front 31

What macromolecules contain nitrogen?

Back 31

*protein, amino acids join to form proteins.

Front 32

Describe the nitrogen cycle

Back 32

*nitrogen is cycled between the atmosphere, soil, plants and other organisms.

Front 33

Why must atmospheric nitrogen be "fixed"?

Back 33

*plants cannot use or incorporate it into organic molecules

Front 34

What organism fixes atmospheric nitrogen?

Back 34

*bacteria

Front 35

Where do nitrogen fixing bacteria live?

Back 35

*soil and roots of plants as nodules/nodes.

Front 36

Describe the process of fixation

Back 36

*Bacteria takes N2 from the air and convert it to what forms:
1. Nitrates 2. Nitrites

Front 37

How do plants that do not have nitrogen fixing bacteria get the nitrogen they need?

Back 37

*They get it from the soil.

Front 38

How do humans and other animals get nitrogen needed to make new protein molecules?

Back 38

*We eat plants or other animals that contain nitrogen.

Front 39

Describe how decomposers work in the nitrogen cycle

Back 39

*Decomposers in the soil, (bacteria/fungi) break down dead organisms returning (amonia) to the soil other bacteria convert N2 into NO3 (nitrates)

Front 40

How does the human body use phosphorous?

Back 40

*We use it for our bones and teeth

Front 41

How do plants use phosphorous?

Back 41

*helps them grow
*low levels stunt the plants growth
*high levels in lakes cause "algal blooms"

Front 42

What is the phosphorous cycle?

Back 42

*The movement of phosphorus in the environment to living organisms. It is a slow process not normally including or cycling through the atmosphere.

Front 43

How does phsphorous enter the soil and water?

Back 43

*Difficult to cycle (slower) because phosphorus is found in rock. It must break down to enter the soil.

Front 44

How do phsphates get into the ocean and form as sediment?

Back 44

*washes off the land into the ocean through erosions and fertilizers.

Front 45

How does the excessive use of fertilizers affect the nitrogen cycle and the phosphorous cycle?

Back 45

*contain ratios of nitrogen and phosphorous uncontrolled and unregulated use. Cause algal blooms in lakes to the run off.

Front 46

Explain why the phosphorous cycle occurs more slowly than both the carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle.

Back 46

*phosphorous man resivior is in rock layers.

Front 47

How do algal blooms harm aquatic ecosystems?

Back 47

*deplete aquatic ecosystems of nutrients needed to survive.

Front 48

How do humans contribute to acid rain conditions?

Back 48

*by burning fossil fuels (nitric oxide increased in the atmosphere) dissolves in rain and snow contributing to acid rain.