Intro Ecology food chains & webs

Ecological Hierarchy - & the Hierarchy of Life

Review these slides an answer the questions. You can redo these questions for the best points.

The Hierarchy of Life - every level of organization and an example

most basic level of life:___

Some are bacteria and fungi

​Examples of Levels

​Life Processes Include:
Has cells
Metabolism
Reproduction
Homeostasis/Repair
Heredity
Respond to Stimuli
Grow/Develop

THE Most Basic Level of the Ecosystem - could be a cell like bacteria

​Subspecies can interbreed and have fertile offspring but they each look physically unique

​There are Weird Exceptions to the rule:
Horses and Donkeys are a different species but may mate and produce a Mule (dad donkey, mom horse), or Hinny (mom donkey, dad horse), and they are SOMETIMES fertile...

​64 Chromosomes

​62 Chromosomes

63 chromosomes which cannot evenly divide for Meiosis = not ideal

​of a certain SPECIES

Multiple Choice

Which of these is an abiotic factor?

• competition
• predators
• water
• food

Multiple Choice

A limiting factor

• is any biotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms

• is any abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms

• is any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms

• does not limit the carrying capacity of an ecosystem

The Next Level of Hierarchy is ​a COMMUNITY: ALL of the LIVING (Biotic) Organisms (Species) in an Area

​Next Level of the Hierarchy of Life

​Last & Highest Level of Organization in the Hierarchy of Life:

​The Four Spheres of Planet Earth

Multiple Choice

Which is the best description of an ecosystem?

• all of the living and nonliving things in an environment
• all of the individuals of one species in an area
• all of the populations of living things in an area
• all of the abiotic factors in an area

Multiple Choice

What are the ecological levels of organization from smallest to the largest?

• organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
• organism, community, population, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
• organism, population, community, biome, ecosystem, ecosphere.
• organism, community, population, biome, ecosystem, ecosphere
• species, population, community, ecosystem, ecosphere

Multiple Choice

HIGHEST level of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring (that can also have offspring)

• population

• organism

• subspecies

• species

• community

Multiple Choice

All the Ash trees, grass, weeds, insects, birds, rhodents, foxes, and climate in an area represents what level of organization?

• community
• ecosystem
• biome
• biosphere
• population

​The arrows represent the flow of energy

​Trophic Level 1 = producers

TL 2 = primary consumer

TL 3 = primary consumer

TL 4 = tertiary consumer

Multiple Choice

What do the arrows show in a food chain?

• They point to the smallest animals

• They point to the animal that tastes the best

• They point to just the producers

• They point in the direction that energy is flowing

Reorder

Put this food chain in the correct order from producer to apex predator

• Grass

• Rabbit

• Snake

• Hawk

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Match

Match each organism with their correct trophic level

• Producer

• Primary Consumer

• Secondary Consumer

• Apex Predator

• Decomposer

Tree

Squirrel

Insect Eating Bird

Mountain Lion

Bacteria

• Tree

• Squirrel

• Insect Eating Bird

• Mountain Lion

• Bacteria

Humans on a Food Web

​Depending on a human's diet they will fall on a different consumer level.

​Trophic Levels Reading

"Humans, for example, are primary consumers when they eat plants such as vegetables. They are secondary consumers when they eat cows. They are tertiary consumers when they eat salmon."​

Multiple Choice

Where does the energy start for all living things & in this food chain?

• Plant

• Sun

• Deer

• Wolf

Multiple Choice

How can the orca be a 5th level consumer?

• phytoplankton --> krill --> ringed seal --> polar bear--> orca

• phytoplankton --> krill --> arctic cod --> orca

• phytoplankton --> krill --> arctic cod --> ringed seal --> polar bear--> orca

• phytoplankton --> krill --> arctic cod --> polar bear--> orca

Multiple Choice

Which type of consumer eats meat and plants?

• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Plants

​A Food Chain shows just one path of energy from feeding relationships in an specific ecosystem.
Each organism can be classified into a trophic level

​Decomposers can consume dead organism matter at any level so we do not usually include them

​Trophic level 1

level 5

​Trophic level 2

level 3

level 4

Multiple Choice

Diatoms are algae that live in cell walls composed of transparent, opaline silica. On this food web, the Krill (zooplankton crustaceans) are shown as _____________

• carnivores

• herbivores

• omnivores

• decomposers

Multiple Choice

Diatoms are photosynthetic algae that live in cell walls composed of transparent, opaline silica. On this food web, the Krill (zooplankton crustaceans) are acting as as _____________

• carnivores

• herbivores

• omnivores

• decomposers

Multiple Choice

On this food web, the arctic cod are acting as _____________

• carnivores

• herbivores

• omnivores

• decomposers

Multiple Choice

What do fungi, mushrooms & bacteria do to dead plants and animals?

• Leave them there

• Decompose them

• Wait for other animals to eat them

• Move away

Multiple Choice

Which animals are considered apex predators?

• Rabbit, fox and snake

• Fox, hawk and owl

• Frog, grasshopper and mouse

• Bird, frog and owl

Multiple Choice

What would happen if the grasshoppers died-off according to this food web?

• the number of birds would decrease

• the number of frogs would increase

• the number of birds would increase

• the number of rabbits would decrease

Multiple Choice

Which of the following only contains organisms

that are secondary consumers in this food web?

• snake, mouse, rabbit

• frog, deer, rabbit

• hawk, mountain lion, cricket

• mountain lion, hawk, frog

Multiple Choice

Habitat or niche?

releases oxygen

• habitat

• niche

Multiple Choice

In the energy pyramid here, how much of the energy in each level gets lost as heat or used by the organism for survival?

• 80%
• 90%
• 10%
• 20%

Multiple Choice

Habitat or niche?

eats insects

• habitat

• niche

Multiple Choice

a deer population has significantly increased, the best hypothesis is 

• the deer's main predator has been eliminated
• competition increased
• decreased water levels of local ponds
• organisms that rely on similar food sources migrated to the area

Multiple Choice

Habitat or niche?

under a rock is a

• habitat

• niche

Multiple Choice

an example of producer consumer relationship would be

• lion eating a deer
• grasshopper getting energy from grass
• hawk getting energy from snakes
• earthworm breaking down dead material

Competition between members of the same species

• Food / Water / Nutrients

• ​Shelter / Space / Territory

• ​Mates

Intraspecies

​

​Competition between members of different species

• Food / water / nutrients

• Shelter / Space / Territory ​

​​Interspecies

​

​Competition between Species

Multiple Choice

Use the diagram to answer the question.
The Mayfly is a food source for which 3 organisms?

• Frog, Dragon Fly and snake
• Frog, trout and dragon fly
• Frog, salamander and trout
• Frog and phytoplankton

Multiple Choice

Does this picture show intraspecies or interspecies interaction between ants.

• Intraspecies

• Interspecies

Multiple Choice

Does this picture show intraspecies or interspecies interaction between the buffalo and tickbird.

• Intraspecies

• Interspecies

Multiple Choice

The largest group of organisms found in a food web would be:

• Primary Consumers
• Producers
• Decomposers
• Tertiary Consumers

Multiple Choice

An energy pyramid represents what?

• How much sunlight is available for the ecosystem to use. 
• How much energy a particular organism needs. 
• How much energy is needed to build a pyramid. 
• The amount of energy available to the next 'feeder' in a food web.

Multiple Choice

Which organism in figure 1 contains the most available energy?

• plants

• hawks and owls

• spiders

• foxes

Multiple Choice

What makes an energy pyramid different than a food web or chain?

• It shows energy flowing from the top of the chain and downward.

• The tropic levels are the opposite

• It shows the amount of energy in each trophic level

• It shows specific predator/prey relationships

The best competitors are the ones who survive and get to pass on their genes.

Why is competition important?

Multiple Choice

Why is competition important?

• because recessive genes then can be passed-on to offspring

• survivors pass on favorable genes that help their offspring survive

• it keeps disease out of ecosystems

• energy wouldn't flow up the food pyramid

• because dominant genes are always passed-on to offspring

Multiple Choice

The Competitive Exclusion Principle

• Keeps 2 species from occupying the exact niche

• Allows 2 species to occupy the same niche

• Allows 2 species to occupy the same habitat