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Chapter 55
Biodiversity Spring 2026- Exam 4
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What happens to energy in ecosystems? | Energy flows through and is eventually lost as heat |
| What happens to matter (nutrients) in ecosystems? | Matter is recycled |
| Why is energy lost between trophic levels? | Due to metabolism, heat loss, and incomplete consumption |
| What is a trophic level? | A feeding level in a food chain |
| What is a food chain? | A linear pathway of energy flow |
| What is a food web? | A complex network of interconnected food chains |
| What are producers? | Organisms that make their own food (photosynthesis) |
| What are consumers? | Organisms that eat other organisms |
| What does a pyramid of energy show? | Energy decreases at higher trophic levels |
| What does a pyramid of biomass show? | Total mass of organisms at each level |
| What does a pyramid of numbers show? | Number of individuals at each trophic level |
| Why are pyramids usually upright? | Energy is lost at each level (~90% lost) |
| When can biomass pyramids be inverted? | In highly productive systems (e.g., phytoplankton turnover) |
| What is production efficiency? | The fraction of energy converted into biomass |
| What is the typical energy transfer efficiency? | About 10% |
| What is primary production? | Rate at which producers convert energy into biomass |
| What is gross primary production (GPP)? | Total energy captured by photosynthesis |
| What is net primary production (NPP)? | GPP − energy used in respiration |
| What is secondary production? | Biomass gained by consumers and decomposers |
| What limits primary production in terrestrial ecosystems? | Temperature Water (precipitation) |
| What limits primary production in aquatic ecosystems? | Light Nutrients |
| What are decomposers? | Organisms that break down dead material and recycle nutrients |
| What are detritivores? | Organisms that feed on dead organic matter |
| What is detritus? | Dead organic material |
| Why can’t most organisms use atmospheric N₂? | It must be converted into usable forms |
| Who performs nitrogen fixation? | Nitrogen-fixing bacteria |
| What nutrient often limits marine ecosystems? | Nitrogen |
| Where is phosphorus mainly stored? | Rocks and sediments |
| What nutrient limits freshwater ecosystems? | Phosphorus |
| What is eutrophication? | Excess nutrients causing algal blooms |
| Where is the largest carbon pool? | Oceans |
| What happens when atmospheric CO₂ increases? | More CO₂ dissolves in oceans |
| What drives the water cycle? | Evaporation and precipitation |
| How does deforestation affect it? | Causes desertification and altered runoff |
| What is biomagnification? | Increase in toxin concentration at higher trophic levels |
| Why are food chains usually short (4–6 levels)? | Energy loss at each trophic level limits higher levels |
| What ultimately limits ecosystem size and complexity? | Energy availability |
Created by:
KristenR2025