Energy Flow Review

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms) interacting with their physical environment (soil, water, and climate).

Front

What are autotrophs?

Back

Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food using light (photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis).

Front

What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and making them available for producers.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

A primary consumer is an organism that eats producers (plants) for energy, typically herbivores.

Front

What is a secondary consumer?

Back

A secondary consumer is an organism that eats primary consumers, often carnivores or omnivores.

Front

What are chemotrophs?

Back

Chemotrophs are organisms that obtain energy by oxidizing inorganic molecules, such as sulfur or ammonia.

Front

What is the flow of energy in a food web?

Back

Energy flows from producers to primary consumers, then to secondary consumers, and so on, with decomposers recycling nutrients.

Front

Define a community in ecological terms.

Back

A community is a group of different species living together in a specific area, interacting with each other.

Front

What is the difference between a population and a community?

Back

A population consists of individuals of the same species in a given area, while a community includes multiple species.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or web, defined by how an organism obtains energy.