Ecology Review

Ecology Review

By Adrienne McCracken

Second trophic level
They are "first consumer" to eat for energy.

They are the herbivores which only eat plants.

Primary consumer

​​Secondary consumer

​Fourth trophic level

​​They are "third consumer" to eat for energy.

Carnivores or Omnivores

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Predator or Scavenger​

Tertiary consumers

​Third tropic level​

​They are "second consumer" to eat for energy.

Can be Carnivores = only eat animals or Omnivores = eat plants and animals​

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Predator or Scavenger​

Food webs show several energy pathways within an ecosystem.

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​Food Webs

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Autotrophs vs. Heterotrophs

Autotrophs make, or produce food for the rest of the ecosystem.

Heterotrophs consume the autotrophs, or other heterotrophs

90% of energy is lost with each trophic level.*Majority of energy is lost due to heat*

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They show:

• the amount of energy decreases for higher consumers

• large number of producers are needed to support an​ ecosystem.

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​Energy
Pyramids

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Multiple Choice

All energy on Earth ultimately comes from what source?

• Water

• Sun

• Consumers

• Oxygen

Multiple Choice

Which organism is the producer (autotroph) of this ecosystem?

• phytoplankton

• krill

• fish

• leopard seal

Multiple Choice

What happens if all the primary consumers are removed from an ecosystem?

• No change

• The number of secondary consumers decreases

• The number of secondary consumers increases

• The number of producers decreases

Multiple Choice

What would an ecosystem look like if there were more consumers than producers? Is this sustainable?

• No, it's not sustainable. The consumers could eat all the producers and the whole ecosystem might collapse.

• No, it's not sustainable. There wouldn't be enough consumers to eat prey and producer numbers would increase.

• Yes, it's sustainable, there would be more prey than producers.

• Yes, it's sustainable, new producer species would evolve to replace the consumers.

Intertidal is the area between shore and open water, with crashing waves and organisms that can handle change in water levels (think tide pools)
Examples: sea stars, barnacles, urchins, crabs

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Characteristics of Aquatic Zones

Neritic is the area just offshore that gets lots of light and is always underwater. photosynthesis is present
Examples: plankton, fish, octopus, shrimp, corals, sea grass

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Characteristics of Aquatic Zones

Benthic is the ocean floor. No light, no photosynthesis. extreme habitat
Examples: deep sea squid, crabs, angler fish, bacteria,
hydrothermal vents

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Characteristics of Aquatic Zones

Multiple Choice

What is algal bloom?

• Precipitation that is unusually acidic and can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure

• A rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system

• An underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock from which groundwater can be extracted

• Contamination of water by harmful bacteria

Multiple Choice

Which aspect of fertilizer pollution would have the greatest negative impact on an aquatic ecosystem?

• Nitrates poison the water that fish breathe through their gills.

• Microorganisms in the water absorb all the oxygen, suffocating animals.

• Aquatic animals increase, adding producers to the food chain and feeding fish.

• Algal blooms deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight from penetrating a body of water.

Multiple Choice

Why does fertilizer pollution stimulate the growth of algae in a pond?

• Algae are producers and use the fertilizer’s nutrients to rapidly multiply.

• Algae are producers and use the fertilizer’s nutrients during decomposition.

• Algae are parasites and absorb energy from the fertilizers in order to grow.

• Algae are herbivores that feed off of the plants, which grow due to the excess fertilizers.

Multiple Choice

Humans have been hunting whales for centuries, however now whale populations have started to crash worldwide. The global community came together to enact a ban in 1985 on whaling. However, some countries have not agreed to stop whaling. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of their decision?

• The whale populations will change their ecosystems and migration patterns to avoid being hunted.

• The whale populations will mutate and evolve into new kinds of organisms with tougher skin to avoid being hunted.

• The whale populations will not rebound as quickly as they might if all of the countries agreed not to hunt whales

• The whale populations are bouncing back very successfully and are unaffected by Japan and Norway continuing to whale

Multiple Choice

The presence of wastes, such as plastic bags and motor oil, can be found in lakes and streams miles away from developed areas. What does this suggest about the human impact on ecosystems?

• Ecosystems are interconnected and human action can alter ecosystem equilibrium.

• Recycling programs have failed to conserve biotic resources in ecosystems.

• Ecosystem stability is unaffected by the presence of wastes from humans.

• Direct harvesting practices have led to irreversible destruction of ecosystems.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT true about runoff?

• pollution can be accumulated in runoff

• runoff is bad for the ocean

• The more houses, buildings, etc. we make, the more chance of runoff happening

• runoff is when water is stored in the ground as groundwater

​Carrying capacity

As carrying capacity is reached, the birth rate/immigration rate begins to equal death rate/emigration rate

Biodiversity

The variety of plants and animals and other living things in a particular area or region.

Also means the number, or abundance of different species living within a particular region

Threats to Biodiversity

• Logging

• Farming

• Pollution

• Invasive Species

• Illegal hunting & collecting

• Land development

Multiple Choice

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

• biodiversity

• trophic levels

• carrying capacity

• pioneer species

Multiple Choice

What makes a species invasive?

• Moving to a new ecosystem and taking resources from natives 
• It has to be venomous or poisonous

• It doesn't produce a lot of offspring

• Plants that take up too much space

​These are just some examples of invasive species we have here in Florida.
Non-native species become invasive when they can reproduce quickly and don't have any native predators.

Multiple Choice

Why do the populations of invasive species grow so quickly? 

• Invasive Species are native to an area. 
• Invasive species are prey to many animals.
• Invasive species have no predators.
• Invasive species keep the ecosystems in equilibrium.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes both a pro and con to the environment of a dam proposed for the production of hydroelectric energy?

• The river behind the dam will have fewer nutrients, and there will be more sediments in the water going past the dam.

• The riverbed behind the dam will have fewer sediments, and less water will be available for irrigation upstream.

• CO₂ emissions will increase, and there will be a reduction in the number of migratory fish injured by human activity.

• No air pollution is produced by this and downstream ecosystems will be deprived of nutrients carried by the river sediments

• Human bodies are about 60% water

• 80% of our oxygen is produced by plankton and marine algae found in ocean waters.

​71% of the Earth's Surface is Water

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​Water is able to move upwards, against gravity in small spaces such as fibers in a paper towel, or in xylem (the water transport tissue in plants). The adhesive and cohesive properties allow water to stick to the surfaces material and cohesion allows water molecules to "pull" molecules up.

Cohesion & Adhesion of water

Multiple Choice

Which property of water explains why water can travel up the roots and the stem of a tall palm tree?

• water molecules are held together by hydrogen bonding

• water can be both cohesive and adhesive

• water is a universal solvent

• water moderates temperature