Ecosystem Dynamics and Trophic Levels

The video tutorial explores ecosystems, focusing on the roles and interactions of organisms within their habitats. It covers the impact of abiotic and biotic factors, the concept of niches, and the structure of food chains and trophic levels. The tutorial also explains ecological pyramids, including pyramids of numbers, biomass, and productivity, highlighting energy flow and the 10% rule.

What is the term used to describe the role and area an organism occupies in its habitat?

• Ecosystem

• Niche

• Population

• Community

Which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor affecting organisms?

• Competition

• Sunlight

• Parasites

• Predators

What trophic levels does the ghost shrimp occupy?

• Secondary and Tertiary Consumer

• Producer and Primary Consumer

• Producer and Decomposer

• Primary and Secondary Consumer

In a food web, what is the primary role of phytoplankton?

• Decomposer

• Primary Consumer

• Secondary Consumer

• Producer

Which of the following best describes a food web?

• A diagram showing only producers and consumers

• A complex network of feeding relationships

• A linear sequence of organisms feeding on each other

• A representation of energy flow over time

Which trophic level would a tertiary consumer occupy?

• Third

• Second

• First

• Fourth

What does a pyramid of numbers represent in an ecosystem?

• The biomass of organisms at each trophic level

• The number of individual organisms at each trophic level

• The rate of energy transfer between trophic levels

• The flow of energy over time

How is a pyramid of productivity different from a pyramid of biomass?

• It shows the number of organisms at each level

• It is always inverted

• It includes a unit of time to show energy flow

• It represents a temporary storage of energy

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

• 5%

• 10%

• 50%

• 20%

What is the primary function of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• To compete with producers for resources

• To break down dead organic matter

• To consume primary consumers

• To produce energy from sunlight