Energy Flow in Ecosystems

The fuel needed by all abiotic and biotic factors to make anything and everything happen.

• money

• energy

• oxygen

• carbon dioxide

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An ecosystem is a system of interacting abiotic and biotic factors. Ecology is the

• study of interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem.

• science that deals with the interactions of all living things in an ecosystem.

• examination of existing relationships between abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem.

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What are autotrophs?

• all plants and animals in an ecosystem

• all biotic factors that produce their own food

• organisms that get energy by eating other organisms

• organisms that collect energy from the sunlight or other substances for food.

Organisms that are classified as consumers and get the energy it needs by eating other organisms are called

• primary consumers

• heterotrophs

• autotrophs

• producers

In terms of heterotrophs, all pairs are correct EXCEPT

• omnivore-eat both plants and animals

• carnivore-eat other heterotrophs

• herbivore-eat both plants and animals

• detrivore-eat all dead matter

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To model the flow of energy in an ecosystem, ecologists use

• food web

• food chain

• bar graph

• energy pyramid

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What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?

• A food web shows a single path while food chain has many pathways for how energy flows in an ecosystem.

• A food web has many paths while food chain has single pathway for how energy flows in an ecosystem.

• Both food web and food chain can show many pathways for how energy flows through an ecosystem.

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A prey population typically increases when its predator is removed from the ecosystem. What will likely happen after this increase of prey population?

• Prey will continue to increase and will dominate the ecosystem.

• Disease transmission affects the prey’s ability to reproduce.

• Food shortages and disease reduce the prey population.

• Other members of the ecosystem become predators and hunt the prey.

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In an energy pyramid, why do the producers get the label of 100%? What does it mean?

• producers have the 100% population

• producers receive 100% energy from the sun

• producers are the most abundant species on Earth

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An energy pyramid shows the

• feeding system of organisms from the bottom to top of the pyramid

• flow of energy from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem

• population of species based on their roles in an ecosystem

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