Chapter 5 Guided Reading:
Case Study: Sea Otters, Sea Urchins, and Kelp: Indirect Effects of Species on One Another
1: Define: Community Effect
Interactions between two species that affect other groups or species.
2: Explain WHY the Sea Otter is considered the Keystone Species in this ecosystem. (Hint:
Explain the food chain)
The sea urchin population would spurt and kelp would decrease.
3: Why were Sea Otters endangered and how did their numbers rebound?
They were endangered due to excess of hunting of their fur . They were rebounded when the U.S decided to protect them.
5.1- The Ecosystem: Sustaining Life on Earth
1: Define Ecosystem Structure
2: What two main processes must occur to maintain an ecosystem?
The cycles of chemical elements and the flow of energy.
5.2- Ecological Communities and Food Chains
1: What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is a linear chain of consumers while food webs show all interactions between them
2: Define: Trophic Level
A level an animal is placed in, in a food web.
3: Define: Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Carnivores, Herbivores, Decomposeters
Autotrophs: Make their own food
Heterotrophs: all organisms that can't make their own food
Carnivores: Only eat meat
Herbivores: Only eat plants
Deomposeters: eat dead organics.
4: Explain the food web of Yellowstone Hot Springs. Explain each trophic level (include a
photo).
1st level: bacteria and algae
2nd level: herbivores such as ephydrid flies
3rd level: carnivores
4th : decomposeters
1: Define: Community Effect
Interactions between two species that affect other groups or species.
2: Explain WHY the Sea Otter is considered the Keystone Species in this ecosystem. (Hint:
Explain the food chain)
The sea urchin population would spurt and kelp would decrease.
3: Why were Sea Otters endangered and how did their numbers rebound?
They were endangered due to excess of hunting of their fur . They were rebounded when the U.S decided to protect them.
5.1- The Ecosystem: Sustaining Life on Earth
1: Define Ecosystem Structure
2: What two main processes must occur to maintain an ecosystem?
The cycles of chemical elements and the flow of energy.
5.2- Ecological Communities and Food Chains
1: What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is a linear chain of consumers while food webs show all interactions between them
2: Define: Trophic Level
A level an animal is placed in, in a food web.
3: Define: Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Carnivores, Herbivores, Decomposeters
Autotrophs: Make their own food
Heterotrophs: all organisms that can't make their own food
Carnivores: Only eat meat
Herbivores: Only eat plants
Deomposeters: eat dead organics.
4: Explain the food web of Yellowstone Hot Springs. Explain each trophic level (include a
photo).
1st level: bacteria and algae
2nd level: herbivores such as ephydrid flies
3rd level: carnivores
4th : decomposeters
5: Explain a pelagic ecosystem. Explain each trophic level (include photos).
1st level: bacteria that are photosynthetic
2nd: zoo plankton
3rd: fish
4th: killer whale
1st level: bacteria that are photosynthetic
2nd: zoo plankton
3rd: fish
4th: killer whale
Closer Look- Land and Marine Food Webs
1: Look at the terrestrial food web. Should we include people within this ecosystem’s food web?
That would place us within nature. OR should we place people outside of the ecosystem, thus
separate from nature? We should put humans in the food chain because we feed on everything.
5.3- Ecosystems as Systems
1: Why are ecosystems considered to be OPEN systems?
Energy goes in and out
2: Define: Watershed
It is an ecoystem's bounderies.
5.4- Biological Production and Ecosystem Energy Flow
1: Define: Energy
Power to do work which moves matter.
2: Explain: Ecosystem Energy Flow- What two ways does energy enter an ecosystem?
It is a path of energy in an ecosystem. The two ways energy is able to enter is through fixed energy of organisms and food web.
The Laws of Thermodynamics and the Ultimate Limit on the Abundance of Life
1: The First Law of Thermodynamics is also known as what? Define it.
The first law is the law of conservation which says that in an any type of change, energy won't be creator or destroyed but it is changed in a form
2: What is the Second Law of Thermodynamics say?
Uses of energy aren't 100% efficient
3: Define Entropy (give an example).
It is the measure of the decrease in order ex: Turning lumber into furniture
4: What is an intermediate system?
A system with an energy source and an energy sink.
5.5- Biological Production and Biomass
1: What is biomass?
Amount of organic matter in an ecosystem.
2: Define the following:
*Biological Production
* Gross Production
Stored energy that is increased before any is being used.
* Net Production
Amount of energy that is the difference of the remaining energy.
3: What are the 3 measures that are used for biomass and biological production?
-Energy stored
-Carbon stored
-Organic material
4: What is primary production- who carries this out?
Primary production is carried out by autotrophs
5: What is secondary production- who is involved?
Heterotrophs is involved with secondary production
6: Who are chemoautotrophs? Explain- where are they usually found? 5.6- Energy Efficiency and Transfer Efficiency
These are bacteria mostly found in many deep ocean vents
1: What is energy efficiency?
It is the ratio of the output to input energy
2: How would energy efficiency look with a wolf and moose population? Explain.
The wolf requires energy to hunt and become mobile to eat a moose.
3: What is food-chain or trophic level efficiency?
This is the production ratio of a trophic level to the one below it.
4: Generally, how much energy is lost to heat when being transferred between trophic levels?
about 90%
5.7- Ecological Stability and Succession
1: What is ecological succession?
When a ruined ecosystem comes back to its original state.
2: Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession- give an example of each.
Primary succession is when an ecosystem starts off of plain nothingness. One example would be a newly formed island. Secondary is when an ecosystem recovers from a drastic change. An example would be the volcano erupting in Mt. St. Helens.
3: Explain how succession would look in a Dune.
Grass would slowly fill the dune. These grasses would carry out photosynthesis which would then proceed to enlarge the grass. Sand around the dune will be stabilized by the runners and seeds will be able to germinate. Soon, the dune will make a forest.
4: Explain how succession would look in a Bog.
Sedges will set out runners across the water. The sedge's stems will start to perform photosynthesis. Many shrubs and trees will grow on seeds that are germinated making the mat thick. A forest will form as the bog will slowly close up.
5: Explain how succession would look in an old-field.
A thick forest will form from small plants that are able to adapt to the conditions. Larger plants will slowly move in as the field grows.
6: Explain how succession would look in a coral reef.
Snails, algae, corals, and urchins make up the coral reef as the biodegrade making calcium carbonate. Species will then continue to make a community.
5.9- How Species Change Succession
1: Explain facilitation in succession and where is it most common?
At the start of succession, many of the starting species will make it a lot more easier for the newer plants and animals to move in.
2: Explain interference in succession and what it can lead to.
Something will interfere with the path of the succession making it harder to succeed.
3: What is chronic patchiness? When does this occur?
Throughout succession, no species will interact.
Critical Thinking Issue: Should People Eat Lower on the Food Chain?
1:Why does the energy content decrease at each higher level of a food chain? What happens to
the energy lost at each level?
Throughout the food chain, less energy is transferred with each consumer.
2: Why it is appropriate to use mass to represent energy content?
The mass will show how much energy the organism needs to be supported.
4: Make a list of environmental arguments for and against an entirely vegetarian diet for people.
What might be the consequences for the United States agriculture if everyone in the country
began to eat lower on the food chain?
Many of the nutrients that we need will not be provided to the people.
5: How low do you eat on the food chain? Would you be willing to eat lower? Explain.
Study Questions:
On the food chain, I eat both carnivorous and herbivorous. I will eat lower as long as there is meat.
1: Farming has been described as managing land to keep it in an early stage of succession. What
does this mean, and how is it achieved?
Farming is important as is gives an original and non artificial way of food.
1: Look at the terrestrial food web. Should we include people within this ecosystem’s food web?
That would place us within nature. OR should we place people outside of the ecosystem, thus
separate from nature? We should put humans in the food chain because we feed on everything.
5.3- Ecosystems as Systems
1: Why are ecosystems considered to be OPEN systems?
Energy goes in and out
2: Define: Watershed
It is an ecoystem's bounderies.
5.4- Biological Production and Ecosystem Energy Flow
1: Define: Energy
Power to do work which moves matter.
2: Explain: Ecosystem Energy Flow- What two ways does energy enter an ecosystem?
It is a path of energy in an ecosystem. The two ways energy is able to enter is through fixed energy of organisms and food web.
The Laws of Thermodynamics and the Ultimate Limit on the Abundance of Life
1: The First Law of Thermodynamics is also known as what? Define it.
The first law is the law of conservation which says that in an any type of change, energy won't be creator or destroyed but it is changed in a form
2: What is the Second Law of Thermodynamics say?
Uses of energy aren't 100% efficient
3: Define Entropy (give an example).
It is the measure of the decrease in order ex: Turning lumber into furniture
4: What is an intermediate system?
A system with an energy source and an energy sink.
5.5- Biological Production and Biomass
1: What is biomass?
Amount of organic matter in an ecosystem.
2: Define the following:
*Biological Production
* Gross Production
Stored energy that is increased before any is being used.
* Net Production
Amount of energy that is the difference of the remaining energy.
3: What are the 3 measures that are used for biomass and biological production?
-Energy stored
-Carbon stored
-Organic material
4: What is primary production- who carries this out?
Primary production is carried out by autotrophs
5: What is secondary production- who is involved?
Heterotrophs is involved with secondary production
6: Who are chemoautotrophs? Explain- where are they usually found? 5.6- Energy Efficiency and Transfer Efficiency
These are bacteria mostly found in many deep ocean vents
1: What is energy efficiency?
It is the ratio of the output to input energy
2: How would energy efficiency look with a wolf and moose population? Explain.
The wolf requires energy to hunt and become mobile to eat a moose.
3: What is food-chain or trophic level efficiency?
This is the production ratio of a trophic level to the one below it.
4: Generally, how much energy is lost to heat when being transferred between trophic levels?
about 90%
5.7- Ecological Stability and Succession
1: What is ecological succession?
When a ruined ecosystem comes back to its original state.
2: Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession- give an example of each.
Primary succession is when an ecosystem starts off of plain nothingness. One example would be a newly formed island. Secondary is when an ecosystem recovers from a drastic change. An example would be the volcano erupting in Mt. St. Helens.
3: Explain how succession would look in a Dune.
Grass would slowly fill the dune. These grasses would carry out photosynthesis which would then proceed to enlarge the grass. Sand around the dune will be stabilized by the runners and seeds will be able to germinate. Soon, the dune will make a forest.
4: Explain how succession would look in a Bog.
Sedges will set out runners across the water. The sedge's stems will start to perform photosynthesis. Many shrubs and trees will grow on seeds that are germinated making the mat thick. A forest will form as the bog will slowly close up.
5: Explain how succession would look in an old-field.
A thick forest will form from small plants that are able to adapt to the conditions. Larger plants will slowly move in as the field grows.
6: Explain how succession would look in a coral reef.
Snails, algae, corals, and urchins make up the coral reef as the biodegrade making calcium carbonate. Species will then continue to make a community.
5.9- How Species Change Succession
1: Explain facilitation in succession and where is it most common?
At the start of succession, many of the starting species will make it a lot more easier for the newer plants and animals to move in.
2: Explain interference in succession and what it can lead to.
Something will interfere with the path of the succession making it harder to succeed.
3: What is chronic patchiness? When does this occur?
Throughout succession, no species will interact.
Critical Thinking Issue: Should People Eat Lower on the Food Chain?
1:Why does the energy content decrease at each higher level of a food chain? What happens to
the energy lost at each level?
Throughout the food chain, less energy is transferred with each consumer.
2: Why it is appropriate to use mass to represent energy content?
The mass will show how much energy the organism needs to be supported.
4: Make a list of environmental arguments for and against an entirely vegetarian diet for people.
What might be the consequences for the United States agriculture if everyone in the country
began to eat lower on the food chain?
Many of the nutrients that we need will not be provided to the people.
5: How low do you eat on the food chain? Would you be willing to eat lower? Explain.
Study Questions:
On the food chain, I eat both carnivorous and herbivorous. I will eat lower as long as there is meat.
1: Farming has been described as managing land to keep it in an early stage of succession. What
does this mean, and how is it achieved?
Farming is important as is gives an original and non artificial way of food.