Trophic Levels, Biomass, and Animal Adaptations (BIO)

What do arrows represent in trophic levels?

The flow of energy and matter.

What is the primary source of energy for producers?

Energy from the sun, used in photosynthesis.

What are producers also known as?

Autotrophs, as they make their own food.

What are heterotrophs?

Organisms that eat other organisms.

What are chemotrophs?

Organisms that obtain energy from chemicals, such as sulfuric acid in volcanoes.

Why is it best to measure dry mass in biomass studies?

To avoid fluctuations in water content.

How is dry mass measured?

By heating it and weighing it until it stops losing weight.

What happens to biomass at each trophic level?

Biomass is lost.

What are the main reasons for biomass loss in ecosystems?

Not all plants or animals are eaten, excretion, and respiration.

What are the three categories of adaptations?

Structural, behavioral, and physiological.

Give an example of a structural adaptation.

Giraffes have long necks to reach leaves.

What is a behavioral adaptation?

Actions organisms take to survive, such as hibernation or migration.

What is a physiological adaptation?

Functional changes inside an organism's body, like camels obtaining water from food.

What are extremophiles?

Organisms that thrive in extreme environments.

What is the predator-prey relationship?

The dynamics between predators and their prey, influencing population sizes.

What is intraspecific competition?

Competition within the same species.

What is interspecific competition?

Competition between different species.

What is natural selection?

A driver for evolution, often described as survival of the fittest.

What is the significance of ultraviolet light (UV) in ecology?

It is a wavelength of light that bees can see but humans cannot.

What happens to the surface area to volume ratio as an object gets bigger?

The ratio falls.

What is a stable community?

A group of species in an environment that is stable due to interdependence.

What factors can affect population size in an ecosystem?

Habitat loss, pathogens, and competition for resources.