List and define the six levels of organization in ecology, from the most

specific to the most complex.individual (organism)- a single living organism

population- a group of individuals that belong to the same species in a given area

community- a group of different populations in a given area

ecosystem- all the living and nonliving things in a given area

biome- a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms.

biosphere- anywhere on earth life exists.

The branch of biology dealing with interactions

among organisms and between organisms and

their environment is called

Ecology

The simplest grouping of more than one kind of organism in the biosphere

is

community

The lowest level of environmental complexity

that includes living and nonliving factors is the

ecosystem

Plants are

Autotrophs and primary producers

How do most primary producers make their

own food?

by using light energy to make carbohydrates

In which way are plants in a sunny mountain meadow

and sulfur bacteria in a deep-sea volcanic

vent alike?

They both produce carbohydrates and oxygen.

In what way are herbivores and

carnivores alike?

They both obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

The total amount of living tissue within a given

trophic level is called the

biomass

A model of the complex feeding interactions among organisms in a community

from producers to decomposers is called a

Food web

decomposers

What goes in Box 5

A word that means the same thing as consumer is

heterotroph

What are the three kinds of ecological pyramids?

Biomass, energy, numbers

Animals that get energy by eating the carcasses of other animals that have

been killed by predators or have died of natural causes

are calledscavengers

Each of the following is an abiotic factor in the

environment EXCEPTa. plant life.b. soil type.c. rainfall.

d. temperature.

a. Plant life

What animals eat both producers and consumers?

omnivores

Organisms that break down organic matter and return it

to the environment are called

decomposers

An ecologist who is studying a group of ecosystems that have

similar climates and are home to similar organisms is studying a

biome

Producers release ___________into the atmosphere during the process of

photosynthesis.

oxygen

Animals that feed on plants are called

consumers

In an ecological pyramid, the biomass of living things _______

at each higher level.

decrease

Seawater, sand on a beach, pebbles in the sand, and humidity are all examples of _________

factors at a seashore.

abiotic

The study of interactions among organisms and between

organisms and their physical surroundings is called

ecology

Organisms within an ecosystem are ____________________

factors in that ecosystem

biotic

Autotrophs capture energy from sunlight or

____________________ to produce food.

chemicals

Plant-eating animals such as cows are called

____________________.

Herbivores/consumers

Why are decomposers the final consumers in

every food chain?In time, all living things die regardless of where

they are in the food chain. The decomposers break down the remains of dead plants and

animals, releasing substances that are reused by other organisms in the ecosystem.

List three biotic and three abiotic factors that determine the

survival of a rabbit in a temperate forest.

Biotic factors may include: plants the rabbit eats, predators that eat the rabbit, and animals that compete with the rabbit for food and territory.

Abiotic factors may include: temperature, rainfall, and space.

Why might a pyramid of numbers be turned upside down? Explain your answer with an example.

Sometimes consumers are much less massive than the organisms they feed upon. For example, thousands of insects may graze on a single tree. The tree has a lot of

biomass, but it is only one organism. So the “base” of the pyramid will be small and the next level up will be wider.

How does a food web differ from a food chain?

A food chain is a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. A food web is a feeding relationship among the various

organisms in an ecosystem that forms a network of complex interactions. A food web links all the food

chains in an ecosystem together.

Describe the two sources of energy that fuel life on Earth, and

explain how they do so.

Sunlight is the main energy source for life on Earth, since it fuels photosynthesis in plants, which make up most of Earth’s

primary producers. Inorganic chemical compounds provide energy for Earth’s other primary producers, the organisms that carry on chemosynthesis. Primary producers capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use that energy to produce

food for themselves. They then become food for other organisms.

How do carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and scavengers differ in

the way they obtain food?

Carnivores kill and eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, and omnivores eat both plants and animals. Scavengers eat carcasses of animals that have been

killed by predators or have died from natural causes.

What is at the base of all ecological pyramids?

producers