Kelp CSA 1 Review Flashcard

Front

What happens to 90% of the energy as you move from one trophic level to the next?

Back

It is metabolized and 'lost' as heat energy and waste.

Front

What does an increase in prey population indicate about the predator population?

Back

When the prey population increases, the predator population increases.

Front

What do the arrows in a food chain diagram represent?

Back

They show what direction the energy is flowing between organisms.

Front

Which organism is typically at the beginning of a food chain in a pond?

Back

Green Algae.

Front

What is the carrying capacity in a population graph?

Back

It is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain, e.g., around 500.

Front

Define 'trophic level'.

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy and nutrients.

Front

What is a food chain?

Back

A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Front

Explain the predator-prey relationship.

Back

It is a biological interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts and eats another organism (the prey).

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic material, returning nutrients to the soil and completing the nutrient cycle.

Front

What is the significance of producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers, like plants, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.