B17

• What is biomass?

  The total mass of all living material
• What is the starting point of a food chain?

  A producer that synthesizes molecules
• What are the roles of different organisms in a food chain?

  • Producer: synthesizes energy (e.g., plants)
  • Primary consumer: herbivore (e.g., rabbit)
  • Secondary consumer: carnivore (e.g., fox)
  • Tertiary consumer: top carnivore (e.g., stoat)
• What happens to energy as it moves through a food chain?

  Some energy is lost through various processes for example movement and digesting food.
• What factors influence the population cycles of predators and prey?

  Food availability affects their populations
• Describe the cycle of predator and prey populations.

  1. More food leads to more prey
  2. Increased prey provides more food for predators
  3. As prey rise, predator numbers increase
  4. Fewer prey result in fewer predators
  5. Cycle repeats
• What are the main chemicals that make up living organisms?

  Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen
• What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?

  They recycle materials by breaking down waste
• What do detritivores do in the decay process?

  They start the process of decay
• What do decomposers release during decay?

  Carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients
• What conditions are ideal for decay?

  Warmth, oxygen, and water
• What happens if conditions are too hot for enzymes?

  Enzymes denature and stop functioning
• What is the decay process and its significance?

  • Releases substances needed for plant growth
  • Ensures soil contains mineral ions
  • Recycles materials in stable communities
• What are the main stages of the water cycle?

  1. Condensation: moist air cools and forms clouds
  2. Precipitation: water droplets fall as rain or snow
  3. Percolation: water trickles through soil and rocks
  4. Evaporation: water turns to vapor from heat
  5. Transpiration: loss of water vapor from plants and animals
• What occurs during condensation in the water cycle?

  Moist air cools and forms clouds
• What happens during precipitation in the water cycle?

  Water droplets fall as rain, snow, or hail
• What is percolation in the water cycle?


  Water trickles through soil and rocks
• What is evaporation in the water cycle?

  Water turns to vapor from heat
• What is transpiration in the water cycle?

  Loss of water vapor from plants and animals
• What are the ideal conditions for decay?

  warm conditions

  Oxygen

  Water
• what is am example of a detritivore?

  worm or maggot
• What is a decomposer?

  Microorganism like bacteria or fungi that feed on waste and dead organisms.
• what do decomposers use to digest?

  enzymes
• what are the factors affecting rate?

  • oxygen availability
  • temperature
  • water content
• what do biogas generators do?

  carry out anaerobic decay to produce methane a biogas which is burned to generate energy
• what is a producer?

  organism that makes its own food usually by photosynthesis
• what is an apex predator?

  a carnivore with no predators
• what is the carbon cycle?

  process that returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide which is then used by plants
• what is the water cycle?

  process that provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into seas and rivers
• what gas is produced by anaerobic decay?

  methane
• what is methane used for?

  Fuel
• what is the role of a decomposer?

  returns carbon to the atmosphere