Deck 3: Ecosystems and Energy

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a closed system?

A) Earth
B) ocean
C) desert
D) hydrothermal vent
E) None of these choices

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Carbohydrates are not:

A) stored potential energy.
B) made mostly of nitrogen and carbon.
C) broken down by cellular respiration.
D) made by producers.
E) used by decomposers.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following series is organized according to the levels of organization used by ecologists?

A) population -> ecosystem -> community
B) species -> community -> abiotic factors
C) species -> ecosystem -> population
D) population -> community -> biotic factors
E) population -> community -> ecosystem

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The correct, chemically balanced equation for cellular respiration is:

A) 12CO2 + 6H2O + RADIANT ENERGY -> C6H12O6 + 12O2.
B) 6CO2 +12H2O + RADIANT ENERGY →->C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2.
C) C6H12O6 + 12 H2O -> 6CO2 +12H2O + ENERGY.
D) 12O2 + C6H12O6 + 12H2O -> 6CO2 + 12H2O + ENERGY.
E) 6O2 + C6H12O6 + 6H2O -> 6CO2 + 12H2O + ENERGY.

Question 5

Physical laws state that we can recycle:

A) both matter and energy.
B) neither matter nor energy.
C) energy, but not matter.
C) matter, but not energy.
D) There are no physical laws governing the recycling of matter or energy.

Question 6

Which of the following is an abiotic factor of the environment?

A) bedrock
B) disease organisms
C) photosynthesis
D) producers
E) detritivores

Question 7

Energy:

A) recycles continuously through an ecosystem.
B) is used over and over again.
C) flows in only one direction through an ecosystem.
D) tends to be concentrated by living organisms.
E) is efficiently transferred between trophic levels.

Question 8

A species is defined as:

A) organisms that live together.
B) organisms that live in the same area at the same time.
C) a group of similar organisms whose members freely interbreed with one another.
D) all of the organisms that live together in an area, plus the physical environment that they live in.
E) all organisms at a given trophic level within a particular community.

Question 9

Light is the energy source for which process?

A) respiration
B) glycolysis
C) mitochondria
D) chemosynthesis
E) None of these choices

Question 10

All of the following are components of the hydrosphere except:

A) sea ice.
B) tropical rainstorms.
C) soil.
D) hail.
E) rivers.

Question 11

An ecosystem can be characterized as:

A) populations + community.
B) all species, population, and community interactions for organisms in a given area.
C) the abiotic components of the environment.
D) all of the biological interactions, plus interactions with the abiotic environment, in a given area.
E) interactions between physical processes and the abiotic environment.

Question 12

Entropy is a measure of:

A) the amount of energy in a system.
B) the amount of work done.
C) the disorder in a system.
D) the efficiency of a system.
E) the rate of energy use in a system.

Question 13

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that:

A) energy can be created or destroyed by physical processes.
B) entropy always increases.
C) energy cannot be created or destroyed.
D) the organization of the universe is steadily increasing.
E) energy transfer between organisms is inefficient and much energy is lost.

Question 14

The chemical energy stored in a plant is an example of:

A) kinetic energy.
B) nuclear energy.
C) solar energy.
D) potential energy.
E) radiant energy.

Question 15

The biotic environment includes a variety of components including:

A) saprotrophs.
B) protozoa.
C) primary producers.
D) decomposers.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 16

Which of the following organisms are capable of cellular respiration?

A) green plants
B) bacteria
C) carnivores
D) algae
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 17

The crust of our planet that is made of rock and soil is known as the:

A) hydrosphere.
B) ecosphere.
C) biosphere.
D) lithosphere.
E) atmosphere.

Question 18

Landscape ecology:

A) is the study of human-designed communities.
B) examines the influences of human activity on natural ecosystems.
C) is exclusively concerned with terrestrial ecosystems.
D) studies spatial patterns of ecological processes operating over large areas.
E) None of these choices is correct

Question 19

The correct, chemically balanced equation for photosynthesis is:

A) 12CO2 + 6H2O + RADIANT ENERGY -> C6H12O6 + 12O2.
B) 6CO2 + 12H2O + RADIANT ENERGY -> C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2.
C) 12O + C6H12O6 + 6H2O -> 6CO2 +12H2O + ENERGY.
D) 12O2 + C6H12O6 + 12H2O -> 6CO2 + 12H2O + ENERGY.
E) 6O2 + C6H12O6 + 6H2O -> 6CO2 + 12H2O + ENERGY.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a product of cellular respiration?

A) carbon dioxide
B) water
C) sugar
D) energy
E) carbon dioxide and sugar

Question 21

A primary consumer would eat:

A) secondary consumers.
B) plants.
C) Bacteria.
D) herbivores.
E) rabbits.

Question 22

Which of the following is a producer?

A) nutrient-rich water
B) a rabbit
C) an alga
D) a fungus
E) a saprotroph

Question 23

In a pyramid of biomass, the tropic level of which organism would have the LEAST BIOMASS?
Grass, is eaten by grasshoppers, which are eaten by toads, which are eaten by snakes

A) grass
B) grasshoppers
C) toads
D) snakes
E) none of these choices, all tropic levels would be of equal biomass

Question 24

Each level or "link" in a food chain or a food web is called:

A) a trophic level.
B) a consumer.
C) an energy flow unit.
D) an equivalent.
E) entropy.

Question 25

A secondary consumer would eat:

A) tertiary consumers.
B) fungi.
C) bacteria.
D) herbivores.
E) lions.

Question 26

Decomposers provide mineral nutrients for:

A) heterotrophs.
B) autotrophs.
C) the second trophic level.
D) the third trophic level.
E) omnivores

Question 27

The most inclusive description of the biotic portion of an ecosystem is:

A) detritivores.
B) producers, consumers, and decomposers
C) herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores
D) primary and secondary consumers
E) all nonliving chemicals or matter.

Question 28

In the Antarctic food web the base of the food chain is occupied by:

A) krill.
B) minnows.
C) algae.
D) tuna.
E) deep-sea bacteria.

Question 29

The chlorophyll in producers captures _________, and transforms this to chemical energy stored in __________ .

A) electrons; waste products
B) light energy; organic compounds such as carbohydrates
C) nuclear energy; chemicals such as DNA
D) light energy; the ozone
E) heat energy; the ability to do work

Question 30

Chemosynthesis supports which of the following ecosystems?

A) salt marsh
B) forest
C) estuary
D) desert
E) hydrothermal vent

Question 31

Net primary productivity represents:

A) plant growth per unit area per unit time.
B) energy per unit area per unit time.
C) the energy available to herbivores.
D) amount of biomass found in excess of that broken down by a plant's cellular respiration.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 32

Decomposers are:

A) bacteria and fungi.
B) consumers.
C) saprotrophs.
D) heterotrophs.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 33

Which of the following is one of the most productive ecosystems?

A) swamps
B) agricultural land
C) boreal forests
D) open ocean
E) streams

Question 34

Detritivores consume:

A) leaf litter.
B) living animal flesh.
C) fungi.
D) both living plants and insects.
E) only microorganisms.

Question 35

The dominant herbivores in the Antarctic food web are:

A) baleen whales.
B) squid.
C) krill.
D) king and emperor penguins.
E) barnacles and mussels.

Question 36

The major biological source of oxygen, which many organisms require when they break down glucose, is actually a by-product of:

A) cellular respiration
B) chemosynthesis
C) entropy
D) photosynthesis
E) global warming

Question 37

Which of the following statements is false?

A) The second law of thermodynamics predicts that although localized areas may temporarily increase in the degree of order, the overall randomness of the universe will not decrease.
B) Energy flow in ecosystems is linear, or one-way.
C) Photosynthesis converts the energy of the sun into stored chemical energy.
D) Cellular respiration converts carbohydrates into usable energy and heat.
E) Only about half the energy available in an organism is transferred to the consumer that eats it.

Question 38

The ultimate source of energy for the communities of the hydrothermal vents is:

A) hot seawater.
B) sinking detritus from the surface waters.
C) energy derived from photosynthesis, as in almost all other communities.
D) chemical synthesis of organic molecules by bacteria.
E) algae.

Question 39

Which of the following organisms are producers in hydrothermal vent communities?

A) bacteria
B) algae
C) fungi
D) moss
E) None of these choices is correct

Question 40

In human cells, energy utilization is about __________ efficient compared to an automobile engine, which is about ______ efficient.

A) 1% / 100%
B) 10% / 50%
C) 25% / 90%
D) 40% / 25%
E) 75% / 10%

Question 41

Which term encompasses the other four?

A) community
B) population
C) species
D) biosphere
E) ecosystem

Question 42

In a pyramid of energy, the lowest quantity of energy (kcal per m2), would be found in the:

A) producers.
B) primary consumers.
C) secondary consumers.
D) tertiary consumers.
E) herbivores.

Question 43

What category would carnivores fall into?

A) autotrophs
B) tertiary consumers
C) omnivores
D) secondary consumers
E) tertiary consumers and secondary consumers

Question 44

Detritivores, scavengers, and decomposers are similar in that they

A) consume nonliving organic matter
B) are primarily microorganisms
C) are primarily producers
D) are among the Earth's least useful organisms
E) are found only in the water

Question 45

In October of 2003, a raging wildfire swept through the mountain ecosystems in Southern California, burning everything in its path to the ground and driving away all of the animals. In order for the mountain ecosystem to re-establish itself, which member of the food web has to return first?

A) deer
B) snakes
C) birds
D) coyotes
E) grasses

Question 46

An example of a biotic component of an ecosystem is

A) the climate
B) a community
C) water
D) synthetic pesticide
E) rock

Question 47

In a pyramid of numbers, the largest number of organisms would typically be found:

A) at the highest end of the food chain, with each lower trophic level occupied by fewer organisms.
B) at the highest end of the food chain, with each lower trophic level having the same number of organisms.
C) at the lowest end of the food chain, with each successive trophic level occupied by fewer organisms.
D) at the lowest end of the food chain, with each successive trophic level having the same number of organisms.
E) None of these choices is correct

Question 48

Why do deep-sea organisms cluster around hydrothermal vents?

A) these organisms prefer the warmth of the vent
B) these organisms depend on the organic material drifting down from surface waters to the vent for food
C) these organisms obtain energy by chemosynthesis from inorganic molecules of vents
D) these organisms have a light phobia
E) these organisms use the pressure of the deep ocean to metabolize organic molecules

Question 49

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another…

A) second law of thermodynamics
B) first law of thermodynamics
C) theory of relativity
D) first law of centrifugation
E) energy transformation

Question 50

Decomposers are:

A) consumers
B) bacteria
C) saprotrophs
D) fungi
E) all of these choices are correct

Question 51

Which represents the interlocking of food chains which connects organisms in an ecosystem?

A) community
B) trophic level
C) food web
D) symbiosis
E) saprotrophy

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT one of the main types of ecological pyramids?

A) pyramid of consumption
B) pyramid of energy
C) pyramid of numbers
D) pyramid of biomass
E) None of these choices, all are types of ecological pyramids

Question 53

Which of the following is not a concern related to human impact on the Antarctic food web?

A) global warming
B) commercial whaling
C) thinning of the ozone layer
D) harvesting krill
E) None of these choices, all are human impacts on the Antarctic

Question 54

One _________ is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degrees Celsius?

A) kilojoules
B) molecule
C) atomic nuclei
D) thermodynamic
E) kilocalorie

Question 55

Which of the following is true about human interference with the Antarctic food web?

A) Humans have had little impact on the Antarctic food web
B) Whaling was only a small contributor to the decline in krill population
C) There is still an abundance of pack ice to provide marine algae for krill
D) Low krill population increases the breeding success of penguins and fur seals
E) None of these choices is true

Question 56

Draw a flow chart to represent the organizational relationships between the following terms from the most inclusive to the least inclusive: ecosystem, population, species, community, and biosphere.

Question 57

With respect to _________, every ecosystem is open.

A) species
B) populations
C) the first and second laws of thermodynamicse) inorganic compounds

Question 58

Energy enters almost all ecosystems as…

A) mechanical energy
B) recycled energy
C) potential energy
D) radiant energy
E) none of these choices are correct

Question 59

Which of the following statements about energy is true?

A) Organisms can reuse energy for biological work
B) Organisms can create the energy required to live
C) The energy present in the universe will always be the same amount
D) Energy cannot change from one form to another
E) None of these choices is true

Question 60

All of the following refer to primary consumers except:

A) carnivore.
B) consumers that eat autotrophs.
C) rabbits.
D) herbivores.
E) second trophic level.

Question 61

Briefly discuss the role of autotrophs in an ecosystem.

Question 62

What is the human impact on net primary productivity? What are the potential environmental problems associated with this impact and what changes would be required to minimize human impact?

Question 63

Consider the city or town that you live in. Is it an example of an open system or a closed system? Explain your answer.

Question 64

Cellular respiration occurs in both plant and animal cells while photosynthesis only occurs in plant cells. How are plants and animals connected via these two processes? Be sure to include balanced chemical equations as part of your answer.

Question 65

Define each component of the following equation and explain the equation in terms of energy available as food for an ecosystem's consumers.
Net primary productivity = gross primary productivity - plant cellular respiration

Question 66

Discuss the contributions of saprotrophs and detritivores to a balanced ecosystem. Identify two representatives of each group in your discussion.

Question 67

Briefly summarize the first and second laws of thermodynamics and then explain how each is applicable to the study of ecosystems and energy.

Question 68

Briefly explain the process of cellular respiration and uses of the energy obtained from the process. Your answer should include the following terms: glucose, water, carbon dioxide, chemical energy, and oxygen. What organisms carry on this process?

Question 69

How does a food web differ conceptually from a food chain? Which is more realistic, and why?

Question 70

Define energy and briefly describe how the different forms contribute to the continual energy needs of organisms.

Question 71

Compare and contrast potential energy and kinetic energy using biological or ecological examples and references.

Question 72

As organisms grow and develop, body form typically becomes more complex. Does such development conform to the Second Law of Thermodynamics? Why or why not?

Question 73

What are krill? Using appropriate terminology, discuss the role of krill in the Antarctic food web, and describe what has been happening to the population of these animals over that past 150 years and why. What has been the impact on this Antarctic ecosystem of human related change in the global environment?