Exam 19: Ecosystem Essentials

Using outside forces, describe the limiting factor of an organism and how it affects this organisms distribution.

Communities are not static, rather they undergo changes over time due to various natural disturbances.

The break-even point between the production and consumption of organic material is termed

A ________ is a complex network of interconnected food chains with multidirectional branches.

What are the major threats to biodiversity in the coming decades? Explain your selections.

The specific, unique role that a species performs within a given area is known as a(n)

How is atmospheric nitrogen converted to a usable form in the biosphere?

In which portion of a lake would oligotrophic conditions most likely occur?

Which of the following is not a measure of biological diversity?

In coral reefs, clownfish live unharmed among the poisonous tentacles of sea anemones. The sea anemones protect the clownfish from predation, while the clownfish scare off predators, such butterfly fish, which would otherwise eat the anemones. The clownfish may also provide important nutrients to the anemones. This is an example of which symbiotic relationship?

Only about ________ of the kilocalories in a trophic level is passed to the next trophic level (e.g. from autotroph to primary consumer).

As chemical pesticides move through the trophic pyramid, they may be amplified at each higher level in a process called

The study of the distribution of plants and animals, the diverse spatial patterns they create, and the physical and biological processes that produce Earth's species richness is called

According to the competitive exclusion principle, no two species can occupy the same niche.

Using Figure 19.4 and Table 19.1 as your guide, describe the net primary productivity of the area in which you live. How does this net primary productivity vary across your state (or equivalent) and broader region?

Chlorophyll absorbs only the ________ and ________ wavelengths for photochemical operations.

In which of the following terrestrial ecosystems would one tend to find the highest net primary productivity?

The environment in which an organism resides or is biologically adapted to live is called a(n)

There is little evidence supporting the contention that synthetic fertilizers disrupt natural biogeochemical cycles.

Approximately ________ of the light energy arriving at the surface of a leaf is useful to chlorophyll.