Bio 2.1.1 #1

Which would have the greatest impact on energy flow within an ecosystem?

• decreasing available sunlight

• decreasing the number of carnivores

• increasing the amount of minerals

• increasing the number of herbivores

In an aquatic food web, which organism would get its energy directly from the Sun?

• algae

• krill

• worms

• zooplankton

Several gases in the atmosphere help to trap and hold some of the heat from the Sun, helping to maintain the Earth's temperature. This is the natural phenomenon called the greenhouse effect. Which gas varies in concentration based on plant coverage and ocean coverage?

• carbon dioxide

• methane

• nitrous oxide

• water

On Earth, the plants and the oceans store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. What results when a factor, such as the clear-cutting of large stands of forest, disrupts this process?

• global warming

• overpopulation

• ozone depletion

• soil erosion

What organisms are primarily responsible for decomposing waste materials in an ecosystem?

• algae

• autotrophs

• bacteria

• plants