environmental-engineering-Introduction

What is defined as the immediate surroundings of an individual?

Environment.

Who introduced the term ecology?

Ernst Heinrich Haeckel in 1866.

What is the basic functional unit of ecology?

Ecosystem.

What type of waste is classified based on its characteristics and disposal methods?

Wastewater.

What are the main producers of an ecosystem?

Plants (autotrophs).

What process do green plants use to produce energy from sunlight?

Photosynthesis.

How do chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy?

They use chemical energy to convert CO2 into nutrients.

What do primary consumers eat?

Producers (plants).

What term is used for organisms that feed on both plants and animals?

Omnivores.

What happens during ecological succession?

There are changes in species structure and community processes over time.

What does diversity in an ecosystem refer to?

The variety of species of plants and animals in a community.

What is a significant effect of rain forest destruction?

Loss of valuable chemical compounds found in tropical plants.

What contributes to the causes of deforestation?

Slash-and-burn agriculture, fire, cattle ranching, and gathering fuel wood.

What components make up the biosphere?

Water, minerals, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and nutrients.

Which ecosystem is characterized by a lack of trees and dominated by grasses?

Grasslands.

What are the two categories of parasites?

Endoparasites and ectoparasites.

What is the process called where energy is transferred through an ecosystem?

Energy flow.

What represents the maximum point of design of a food chain?

Producers at the base of the food chain and apex predators at the top.