Ecology Review-Biology

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What is an energy pyramid?

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An energy pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the flow of energy through different trophic levels in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy decreases as it moves from producers to higher trophic levels.

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What is a trophic level?

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A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web that indicates the organism's role in the flow of energy and nutrients, typically categorized as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers.

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What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

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Producers, such as plants and algae, convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the energy pyramid and providing energy for all other trophic levels.

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How much energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

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Typically, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level, while the rest is lost as heat or used for metabolic processes.

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What is biomass in an ecological context?

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Biomass refers to the total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume, often used to measure the amount of energy available at each trophic level.

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What is the significance of biodiversity in ecosystems?

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Biodiversity enhances ecosystem resilience, productivity, and stability, allowing ecosystems to better withstand environmental changes and disturbances.

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What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

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A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients flow, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains that illustrates the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

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What is carrying capacity?

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Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an environment can sustainably support, based on available resources.

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What is the impact of human activities on ecosystems?

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Human activities, such as pollution, habitat destruction, and overexploitation of resources, can significantly disrupt ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and changes in species interactions.

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What is the concept of ecological succession?

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Ecological succession is the process by which ecosystems change and develop over time, often following a disturbance, leading to a gradual replacement of one community by another.

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