Energy & Chemical Flow through Ecosystems Chapter Review

Answer all questions on a separate sheet of paper! Review due on day of test!

  1. All life’s energy starts from what source?
  2. What is photosynthesis?
  3. What are carbohydrates and how are they related to photosynthesis?
  4. What is the equation for photosynthesis?
  5. What are producers? Give an example of a producer.
  6. What are producers also known as?
  7. What are consumers? Give an example of a consumer.
  8. What are consumers also known as?
  9. What are the four categories of consumers? Give an example of an organism in each type of category.
  10. What pattern is energy transferred though an ecosystem?
  11. What is cellular respiration?
  12. What is the equation for cellular respiration?
  13. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
  14. Which of the above is more realistic? Explain your answer.
  15. What is a trophic level?
  16. As organisms consume organisms on lower trophic levels, approximately how much energy is transferred on?
  17. On the back, draw a simple food web. Label each organism in your web with the following (primary producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, ect) Make sure to label organisms that fall into multiple trophic levels.
  18. What is an energy pyramid?
  19. What is the carbon cycle?
  20. Why is carbon important?
  21. What are the three steps of the short-term carbon cycle?
  22. How is the long-term carbon cycle different than the short-term carbon cycle? (Don’t just say it’s longer!)
  23. What is carbonate and where does it come from?
  24. What are fossil fuels? How are they formed?
  25. Approximately how much CO2 is released into the atmosphere each year by humans?
  26. When CO2 rises in our atmosphere, what could possibly occur?
  27. What is the nitrogen cycle?
  28. Why is nitrogen important to living things?
  29. Where is nitrogen naturally found?
  30. How are bacteria important to the nitrogen cycle?
  31. Quickly summarize the steps of the nitrogen cycle.
  32. What is the phosphorus cycle?
  33. Why is phosphorus important to living things?
  34. Where is phosphorus naturally found?
  35. What could be a negative impact of overuse of fertilizers that contain nitrogen and phosphorus?
  36. What is ecological succession?
  37. What are the two types of ecological succession?
  38. What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
  39. What are pioneer species?
  40. Compare the pioneer species of both primary and secondary succession.
  41. Explain why primary succession takes longer than secondary succession.
  42. What is a climax community?
  43. Quickly summarize the steps of primary succession.
  44. Explain how Michigan Jack Pine forests are an excellent example of secondary succession.
  45. How is fire beneficial to an ecosystem’s succession?