BIOLOGY - Environment - What is an ecosystem

Ecosystems consist of interactions among organisms and their environment. Plants, as primary producers, convert CO2 and water into energy-rich carbohydrates using sunlight. Consumers, or heterotrophs, rely on these producers for energy. Energy and nutrients cycle through ecosystems as organisms consume one another, with some energy lost as heat. Ecosystems are dynamic, with populations fluctuating and adapting to climatic changes. Diverse ecosystems tend to be more stable, though natural disasters can cause significant changes. Coral reefs exemplify a diverse and resilient ecosystem, featuring symbiotic relationships and a wide array of marine life.

What role do plants play in an ecosystem?

• They are secondary consumers.

• They are primary consumers.

• They are primary producers.

• They are decomposers.

What happens to the energy from a consumed organism?

• It is converted into sunlight.

• It is stored as water.

• It is either lost as heat or integrated into the consumer's biomass.

• It is entirely lost as heat.

How do ecosystems recycle nutrients?

• By converting them into oxygen.

• Through photosynthesis only.

• By storing them in rocks.

• Through death and decay processes.

What makes an ecosystem more stable?

• Being less diverse.

• Having fewer species.

• Experiencing frequent natural disasters.

• Having more biodiversity.

Which ecosystem is highlighted as an example of diversity?

• Savannas

• Deserts

• Rainforests

• Coral reefs