APES 4 & 5 Review

Front

What is biomass in an ecosystem?

Back

Biomass refers to the total mass of living matter within a given area or volume, often measured in terms of weight per unit area. It is a key indicator of the productivity of an ecosystem.

Front

What is primary productivity?

Back

Primary productivity is the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances. It is a measure of the energy captured by primary producers in an ecosystem.

Front

Define commensalism in ecological terms.

Back

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. An example is barnacles attaching to whales.

Front

What is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth?

Back

The largest carbon reservoir on Earth is the ocean, which stores carbon in dissolved forms and as organic matter.

Front

What are the main types of biomes?

Back

The main types of biomes include tundra, taiga (boreal forest), temperate forest, grassland, desert, and aquatic biomes.

Front

What is the significance of fossil fuels in the carbon cycle?

Back

Fossil fuels are significant in the carbon cycle as they store carbon that has been sequestered over millions of years, and their combustion releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Front

What is the role of primary producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Primary producers, such as plants and phytoplankton, convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food web.

Front

Explain the concept of ecological efficiency.

Back

Ecological efficiency refers to the percentage of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next in a food chain, typically ranging from 5% to 20%.

Front

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

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.

Front

Define the term 'biome'.

Back

A biome is a large geographic biotic unit, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.