Organisation Of An Ecosystem

What are the producers of biomass for life on Earth?

Photosynthetic organisms.

What is biomass?

The mass of living material in an organism.

How can feeding relationships within a community can be represented?

By food chains.

What can be used by ecologists to determine the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem?

A range of experimental methods using transects and quadrats.

What do food chains begin with?

A producer which synthesises molecules. This is usually a green plant or algae which makes glucose by photosynthesis.

What are producers eaten by?

Primary consumers.

What are primary producers eaten by?

Secondary consumers.

What are secondary consumers eaten by?

Tertiary consumers.

What are consumers that kill and eat other animals called?

Predators.

What are those who are eaten called?

Prey.

What happens in a stable community?

The numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles.

What is where an organism is found affected by?

Environmental factors.

How are many different materials cycled?

Through the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem.

What are all materials in the living world are recycled for?

To provide the building blocks for future organisms.

What does the carbon cycle do?

The carbon cycle returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide to be used by plants in photosynthesis.

What does the water cycle do?

The water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas. Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated.

What is the role of microorganisms in cycling materials through an ecosystem?

They return carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and mineral ions to the soil.