U7 Review: Ecosystem Ecology

What is the primary focus of ecosystem ecology?

• The study of individual species

• The interactions between living things

• The flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem

• The chemical makeup of soil

What is a key characteristic of primary producers in an ecosystem?

• They consume other organisms

• They generate energy through photosynthesis

• They are always the largest organisms

• They live only in aquatic ecosystems

What happens to energy as it moves up the food chain?

• It is fully transferred without loss

• It increases at each level

• It stays constant

• 90% of energy is lost at each trophic level

Why is it safer to eat lower on the food chain?

• Lower organisms are more abundant

• They contain fewer toxins, such as mercury

• They taste better

• They are easier to catch