Exam 35: Nature of Ecosystems

When settlers move into a wooded area, they slash and burn the woods, increasing grass production. Initially, they are likely to see

How is a carnivore like an herbivore?

The base of an ecological pyramid represents the

Fungi and bacteria are detritus-feeders, also known as

What happens to the amount of available energy as you progress up the food pyramid?

An ecosystem consists of what two components?

A disruption in which biogeochemical cycle will lead to cultural eutrophication?

Consider the components of a four-step food chain: producers, herbivores, carnivores, top predators. If everything is eaten at each level, how much of the energy stored by a producer is passed to the top predator?

Explain the steps in the hydrological cycle.

Settlers move into an area and harvest most of the foxes for fur. They are likely to see

Which statement about the hydrologic cycle is accurate?

When withdrawal from an aquifer exceeds the rate of recharge, this is known as

The conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas is achieved by

Which organism eats only plant foods?

You buy a house on a small inland lake and your front lawn ends at the water's edge. A lawn care company representative suggests you fertilize the lawn to keep it lush and green. You agree to the treatment and then, two weeks later, the lake is covered in green algae. The most likely cause of the algae problem is

Animals that feed on both plants and other animals are called

How much of the water on Earth is fresh water?

In a certain ecosystem, caterpillars eat grass. Field mice eat the caterpillars and seeds from the grass. Snakes eat the mice. Hawks eat both the snakes and mice. Such an arrangement would be considered a(n)

In the following food chain, which organism is a secondary consumer? grass → rabbits → snakes → hawks → foxes

The two general categories of biogeochemical cycles are