Name Date Period

Chapter 4 Study Guide - Ecosystems: Components, Energy Flow, and Matter Cycling

4-1 The Nature of Ecology

1.  Ecology is the study of how ______interact with one another and with their ______environment. It is a study of ______in nature.

2.  All living things are known as ______.

3.  Eukaryotic organisms are made of cells that have a distinct ______and have several internal parts called ______. Prokaryotic organisms don’t have a distinct ______and don’t have any enclosed internal parts.

4.  Label the following characteristics as either asexual reproduction (A) or sexual reproduction (S):

·  Produces offspring that have combinations of genetic traits from each parent.

·  Gives the species a greater chance of survival under changing conditions.

·  Common in prokaryotic species, like bacteria.

·  Produces offspring by combining sex cells from both parents.

·  Produces 2 identical cells that are clones of the original cell.

5.  What are 3 examples of populations?

6.  In response to changes in environmental conditions, populations change in ______, ______, ______, and ______.

7.  The place where a population normally lives is its ______.

8.  Describe the relationship between organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

4-2 Connections: The Earth’s Life-Support Systems

9.  Label the following “spherical layers” of the Earth below:

·  Atmosphere

o  Troposphere

o  Stratosphere

·  Hydrosphere

·  Lithosphere

·  Biosphere

10.  Life on earth depends on 3 interconnected factors:

·  High quality energy from the ______.

·  Cycling of ______through parts of the ______.

·  Gravity, which allows the Earth to hold onto its ______and causes downward movement of ______in the matter cycles.

11.  Solar energy from the sun sustains life on earth by:

·  Warming the ______and ______

·  Evaporating ______and cycling it through the ______

·  Generating ______

·  Giving plants, algae, and bacteria the energy to perform ______

12.  Certain gases (like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) hold onto heat as it radiates off the Earth, which helps to warm the Earth’s lower atmosphere and surface. This effect is known as the ______.

4-3 Ecosystem Concepts & Components

13.  On land, the biosphere has been classified into regions called biomes. Name and describe 4 examples of biomes:

14.  Long-term patterns of weather are known as ______and determine what types of ______will thrive in a certain land area.

15.  The aquatic equivalents of biomes are known as ______.

16.  Label the following components of ecosystems as either abiotic (A) or biotic (B):

·  Tree

·  Water

·  Air

·  Mushroom

·  Rock

17.  The illustration below shows an example of the range of tolerance in temperature with a population of fish.

·  What temperatures can they tolerate?

·  What temperatures can’t they tolerate?

18.  The limiting factor principle says that too much or too little of any ______can limit growth of a population, even if all the other factors are at or near the optimum ______of ______.

19.  What are 2 common limiting factors for terrestrial (land) plants?

· 

20.  What are 4 common limiting factors for aquatic (water) plants?

21.  Producers (autotrophs) make their own ______. They are the source of all food in an ______and make their food through the process of ______.

22.  Match the following consumers (heterotrophs) with where they get their energy:

a. Decomposers (detritivores) / 1. Eating other animals
b. Omnivores / 2. Eating dead organisms and waste
c. Carnivores / 3. Eating plants
d. Herbivores / 4. Eating plants and other animals

23.  Producers, consumers, and decomposers release energy from organic compounds through the process of ______. They convert these organic compounds into CO2 and water in the presence of ______(gas).

24.  Some decomposers get their energy by breaking down organic compounds in the absence of ______(gas) through the process of ______.

25.  Match the following types of biological diversity with their definition:

a. Genetic Diversity / 1. Variety of biological communities
b. Species Diversity / 2. Variety of genes among individuals
c. Ecological Diversity / 3. Variety of biological and chemical processes
d. Functional Diversity / 4. Variety of species found in different habitats

4-4 Connections: Food Webs & Energy Flow in Ecosystems

26.  Why is waste (dead organisms, droppings, etc.) not really “a waste”?

27.  Distinguish between a food chain and a food web by illustrating an example of each.

28.  Which one is a more realistic depiction of nature: a food chain or a food web? Why?

29.  In which trophic level is most of the biomass of an ecosystem located?

30.  With each transfer up the food chain, about ___% of energy is lost as low-quality ______.

31.  Draw a pyramid of energy flow and label each trophic level with an example species.

4-5 Primary Productivity of Ecosystems

32.  What does NPP stand for and what is the formula used to determine NPP?

33.  Which regions of the world have the highest NPP? The lowest?

4-6 Connections: Matter Cycling in Ecosystems

34.  Match the following stages of the hydrologic (water) cycle with the correct term:

1. ____ / a. precipitation
2. ____ / b. surface runoff
3. ____ / c. condensation
4. ____ / d. groundwater
5. ____ / e. ocean
6. ____ / f. evaporation
7. ____ / g. lake

35.  What are 2 ways that humans are affecting the water cycle?

36.  Where is carbon found in the:

·  Atmosphere?

·  Biosphere?

·  Hydrosphere?

·  Lithosphere?

37.  What are 2 ways that humans are affecting the carbon cycle?

38.  Where is nitrogen found in the:

·  Atmosphere?

·  Biosphere?

·  Hydrosphere?

·  Lithosphere?

39.  Where is phosphorus found in the:

·  Atmosphere?

·  Biosphere?

·  Hydrosphere?

·  Lithosphere?

40.  Where is sulfur found in the:

·  Atmosphere?

·  Biosphere?

·  Hydrosphere?

·  Lithosphere?