Energy Flow in an Ecosystem
Short Questions
1. What is an ecosystem?
- An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their environment.
2. What are producers in an ecosystem?
- Producers are plants that make their own food using sunlight.
3. What are primary consumers?
- Primary consumers are herbivores that eat plants, like grasshoppers.
4. Give an example of a secondary consumer.
- A frog is an example of a secondary consumer.
5. What are apex consumers?
- Apex consumers are top carnivores, like tigers, that are not eaten by others.
6. What is a food chain?
- A food chain is a sequence of organisms where each eats the one before it.
7. What is a food web?
- A food web is an interconnected network of many food chains.
8. What is a trophic level?
- A trophic level is each step in a food chain where organisms get their food.
9. Who proposed the concept of the ecological pyramid?
- Charles Elton proposed the ecological pyramid in 1927.
10. What are decomposers?
- Decomposers are microbes and fungi that break down dead organisms.
11. What is the main source of energy in an ecosystem?
- The sun is the main source of energy in an ecosystem.
12. What is a pyramid of energy?
- A pyramid of energy shows how energy decreases at each trophic level.
13. What happens to energy after an apex consumer dies?
- Energy is used by decomposers to break down the body.
14. What is a bio-geo-chemical cycle?
- A bio-geo-chemical cycle is the recycling of nutrients in an ecosystem.
15. What is the main process in the carbon cycle?
- Photosynthesis is the main process that starts the carbon cycle.
16. How is oxygen released into the atmosphere?
- Oxygen is released by plants during photosynthesis.
17. What gas makes up 78% of the atmosphere?
- Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere.
18. What is nitrogen fixation?
- Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of nitrogen gas into nitrates.
19. What process releases ammonia in the nitrogen cycle?
- Ammonification releases ammonia from dead organisms.
20. Why is equilibrium important in bio-geo-chemical cycles?
- Equilibrium ensures nutrients are recycled properly to maintain ecosystem balance.
Long Questions
1. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
- A food chain is a straight sequence, like grass to grasshopper to frog, showing one path of energy flow. A food web is a complex network of many food chains, like an insect eaten by frog, lizard, and bird, showing multiple interactions.
2. How do producers help in the energy flow of an ecosystem?
- Producers, like plants, use sunlight to make food through photosynthesis, starting the energy flow. This energy then passes to herbivores and other consumers in the food chain.
3. Why does the number of organisms decrease at higher trophic levels?
- The number decreases because only about 10% of energy transfers to the next level, leaving less energy for higher consumers. Most energy is lost as heat or used by the organism itself.
4. What role do decomposers play in an ecosystem?
- Decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down dead plants and animals into simple compounds. This returns nutrients like carbon to the soil and air, restarting the cycle for plants.
5. How does the carbon cycle work in nature?
- Plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to make food, passing carbon to herbivores and carnivores. After death, decomposers release carbon dioxide back into the air, completing the cycle.
6. Why is the oxygen cycle important for living organisms?
- The oxygen cycle provides oxygen for respiration in animals and plants, which they need to produce energy. Plants also release oxygen during photosynthesis, maintaining its balance in the air.
7. What are the main steps in the nitrogen cycle?
- Nitrogen fixation turns air nitrogen into nitrates, ammonification releases ammonia from dead matter, and nitrification converts it to nitrates for plants. Denitrification returns nitrogen gas to the atmosphere, keeping the cycle going.
8. How does human activity affect the carbon cycle?
- Burning fossil fuels and wood releases extra carbon dioxide into the air, increasing its levels. This can lead to global warming by trapping more heat in the atmosphere.
9. What would happen if decomposers were absent in an ecosystem?
- Without decomposers, dead plants and animals would not break down, causing nutrient shortages. This would stop the recycling of carbon and nitrogen, disrupting the ecosystem.
10. Why is energy flow considered one-way in an ecosystem?
- Energy flows from the sun to producers, then to consumers, and is lost as heat at each step. It does not return to the sun or cycle back, making it a one-way process until decomposers release it.
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