Ecology Flashcard

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow through different trophic levels.

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What is a producer in an ecosystem?

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A producer is an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, serving as the primary source of energy for consumers.

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What is a consumer in an ecosystem?

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A consumer is an organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms, including plants (herbivores) and other animals (carnivores and omnivores).

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What is the significance of trophic levels?

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Trophic levels represent the hierarchical positions of organisms in a food chain, indicating their role in energy transfer and nutrient cycling.

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What happens to energy as it moves up trophic levels?

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Energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels due to energy loss through metabolic processes and heat, typically following the 10% rule.

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What is the 10% rule in ecology?

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The 10% rule states that 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 an ecological pyramid?

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An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation that shows the relative amounts of energy, biomass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

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What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

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Decomposers break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil and making them available for producers.

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What is the difference between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores?

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Herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat other animals, and omnivores eat both plants and animals.

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What is biomass?

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Biomass is the total mass of living matter within a given area or volume, often used to measure the energy available at different trophic levels.