Crash Course - Understanding Ecosystem Ecology (Food Web)

What is an ecosystem often compared to in order to understand its complex nature?

• A puzzle

• A Magic Eye poster

• A painting

• A machine

Which type of ecology focuses on the flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem?

• Conservation ecology

• Ecosystem ecology

• Community ecology

• Population ecology

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In the mountain stream example, what is a primary source of food for the aquatic animals?

• Sunlight

• Plants within the stream

• Materials from surrounding ecosystems

• Fish from other streams

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Why is it challenging to define the boundaries of an ecosystem?

• All ecosystems are the same size

• Ecosystems are isolated from each other

• Ecosystems have clear physical boundaries

• Ecosystems have fuzzy, ill-defined gradients

What role do autotrophs play in an ecosystem?

• They consume other organisms

• They convert solar energy into chemical energy

• They regulate the climate

• They decompose organic material

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What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?

• Water

• The sun

• Soil nutrients

• Wind

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Which organisms are known as primary consumers?

• Autotrophs

• Carnivores

• Herbivores

• Detritivores

What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

• 50%

• 25%

• 10%

• 75%

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What is bioaccumulation?

• The production of biomass in an ecosystem

• The decrease of toxins in an organism over time

• The increase of toxin concentration up the food chain

• The process by which energy is lost in food chains

Why is it safer to eat organisms lower on the food chain?

• They are easier to digest

• They are more abundant

• They are more nutritious

• They are less likely to accumulate toxins