Study Guide Environment: Chapter 2 Ecosystems & Biomes? 1 ...

Study Guide
Environment: Chapter 2 Ecosystems & Biomes?
1. Name and describe the energy roles that organisms play in an ecosystem.
a. Producer, 1rst level consumer, 2 nd level consumer, 3 rd level
consumer, decomposer,
Producer- an organism that can make its own food. Is the
source of all food in an ecosystem.
1rst level consumer- (herbivore)- Eats producers (plants)
2 nd level consumer- eats 1 st level consumers
3 rd level consumer- eats 2 nd level consumers
Decomposer- break down wastes and dead organisms
returning the raw materials to the ecosystem.
b. Explain why there are very few 3 rd level consumers in an ecosystem.
-in an energy pyramid, the most energy is available at the
producer level. As you move up the energy pyramid, about

90% of the energy is lost at each level. In other words,
producers have 100% of the energy. They pass only 10% of
this energy on to the first level consumers which will use 90%
of this energy, passing only 10% on to the 2 nd level consumer.
c. The difference between a carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore.
Carnivore- eat only animals
Herbivores- eat only plants
Omnivores- eat plants and animals.
d. Identify producers and consumers in a diagram.
Producers will be plants and some bacteria.
2. Describe how much energy is available at each level of an energy pyramid.
100% at the producer level which uses 90%, passing only 10% on to
first level consumers, which pass only 10% on to 2 nd level consumers.
Producers=100% of energy
1rst level consumer= get 10% of the energy
2 nd level= get 1% of the energy
3 rd level = get .1% of the energy
3. Name and describe the processes involved in the water cycle

a. Evaporation- The process by which molecules of water gain energy
and change to a gas (water vapor)
b. Condensation- The process by which a gas (water vapor) changes to
a liquid.
c. Precipitation (include examples)- Water falling from the sky.
i. Rain, snow, sleet, hail.
d. Ground water & surface run-off- Ground water is precipitation that
soaks into the ground.
i. Surface run-off- is precipitation that runs along the ground to
local lakes, rivers or streams.
4. Explain how carbon and oxygen are recycled in ecosystems
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is taken in by plants which use the Carbon ( C )
to produce carbohydrates and sugars. The plants give off Oxygen
(O2) as their waste product. Animals take in the O2 (Oxygen) and
release CO2 (carbon dioxide). This cycle continues.
a. Define photosynthesis .
- The process in which organisms use water along with sunlight and
carbon dioxide to make their own food.
b. What is released as a result of photosynthesis? Oxygen

5.
a. What do plants use carbon to produce in the process of
photosynthesis
i. Sugars and Carbohydrates (starches)
6. Define and describe the nitrogen cycle.
In the nitrogen cycle, nitrogen moves from the air to the soil, into living
things, and back into the air.
a. Identify the step on a diagram (see p. 52 in text book)
b. What lives in nodules?
-nitrogen fixing bacteria which take free nitrogen and fix it into
nitrogen containing compounds that organisms can use.
7. Explain how the movement of the continents has affected the distribution
of species.
- It has limited the species to certain continents. It has also led to the
discovery of the same species on continents that are far away from
each other. Like tropical plants on a polar continent.
a. Identify physical barriers
- Water, mountains, deserts.

. Exotic species- Species that are carried to a new location by people.
c. Climate- The typical weather pattern in an area over a long period of
time.
d. Continental drift= The very slow motion of the continents.
8. Identify the six major biomes found on earth by their characteristics (temp.,
rainfall, etc.
Rain forest-
Precipitation- greater than 300 cm/year
- Has an abundance of plant life
- Tropical rain forests are found mainly along the equator.
Desert-
Temperature- in temperate rain forest is moderate
-receives less than 25 cm of rain a year.
-evaporation is greater than precipitation
-scorching hot during the day and freezing at night

Grassland-
plants.
-An area that is populated by mostly grasses and other non- woody
- 25-75 cm of rain/year.
-fires and drought are common.
-home to the largest grazing herbivores (elephants, bison, antelopes,
giraffes, kangaroo’s)
Deciduous Forest
- Many of the trees shed their leaves and grow new ones each year.
- Have seasons.
-
Boreal Forest
Colder
- Mainly coniferous trees (pine trees like the fir, spruce and
hemlock)

Tundra
- winters are very cold with lots of snow, and summers are rainy
and warm.
Extremely cold and dry
- receives no more precipitation than a desert.
- plants include mosses, grass, shrubs and dwarf trees.
a. Explain why a large number of plants grow in the tropical rain forest.
The warm temperatures and abundant rainfall lead to lots of
plant growth.