Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
Sources to use: Allott text, Click4Biology, The Habitable Planet
(http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/)
1. Define the following terms:
Species
Habitat
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Ecology
Niche
Biodiversity
Trophic level
2. Complete the tree below with definitions and examples of each type of feeding strategy.
Can you distinguish between the feeding strategies at each level?
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
3. Food chains represent the flow of energy and nutrients in a series of feeding relationships.
Give one example of a marine food chain (min. 4 organisms)
Give one example of a terrestrial food chain (min. 4 organisms)
Give one other example of a food chain (min. 4 organisms)
4. Describe what is meant by a food web.
5. The food web below shows some coral reef feeding relationships;
a. Identify species in the following trophic levels:
i.
Producers
ii.
Primary consumers
iii.
Secondary consumers
6. On a separate sheet, construct a freshwater food web based on the following information:
Organism
Energy sources
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
Water crowfoot
Sunlight
Cased caddisfly larva
Micro-plants, algae, particles of dead plants and animals
Damselfly nymph
Micro-plants, algae, particles of dead plants and animals
Mayfly nymph
Micro-plants, algae, particles of dead plants and animals
Dragonfly
Other adult insects and small flies
Duck
All nymphs, all plants, snails, tadpoles, young frogs
Freshwater Shrimp
Particles of dead plants and animals
Water vole
Plants
Algae
Sunlight
Otter
Fish, frogs and newts
Water starwort
Sunlight
Pond snail
Microplants, all water plants and algae
Alderfly nymph
Micro-plants, algae, particles of dead plants and animals
Pond skater
Particles of dead plants and animals
Frog
Mayfly, midge larvae, pond skater, caddisfly, small flies
Tadpole
Micro-plants, algae
Micro-plants
Sunlight
Great diving beetle
Water flea, snails, tadpole, all nymphs
Bullhead fish
Diving beetle, tadpole, all nymphs, water flea, snail, midge larvae
Adapted from: http://www.cornwallriversproject.org.uk/education/education_pack.htm
7. For the food web created above:
a. Identify organisms in each of the trophic levels. Do any fit more than one trophic
level?
b. Which could be classed as detritivores?
8. Why is it sometimes difficult to classify organisms into single trophic levels?
9. Why are the numbers of organisms usually smaller higher up the trophic levels?
10. What is the original source of energy for almost all communities?
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
11. Use the table below to summarize the stages of photosynthesis (revision):
Light-independent (Calvin cycle)
Light-dependent
Stage
Summary
Photolysis
Photophosphorylation
Reduction of NADP+
Carbon fixation
Reduction of
glycerate-3-phosphate
Glucose phosphate
production
Regeneration of RuBP
12. What are the functions of the following molecules in photosynthesis?
Photosystem I and II
ATP synthetase
ATP
NADPH
Rubisco
CO2
13. What is the function of a pyramid of energy?
14. Give an example of a unit of measurement used in a pyramid of energy, giving a description
of each component.
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
15. Define the following terms:
Gross production
Net Production
16. Explain why gross production is always higher than net production.
17. Write the calculation used for determining gross production, net production and respiration.
18. a. Draw a simple pyramid of energy based on this information:
b. Explain the shape of the pyramid of energy in terms of energy loss between trophic levels.
19. Energy transfers are never 100% efficient.
In which ways is energy lost between trophic levels?
20. Study the energy flow diagram below:
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
a. Calculate the net production of the autotrophs.
b. Calculate the percentage of energy lost as heat in:
i.
Autotrophs
ii.
Heterotrophs
c. Suggest reasons for the difference in part b.
21. “Energy flows through an ecosystem, nutrients are recycled.”
Explain this statement with the aid of a flow chart.
Include the roles of saprotrophic bacteria and fungi.
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
22. Distinguish between primary and secondary succession, with two examples of each.
Primary succession
Secondary succession
23. Describe the effects of succession on the following factors:
Productivity
Biomass
Biodiversity
24. In what ways do living organisms affect the abiotic environment in primary succession?
Soil composition & strength
Organic nutrients
Mineral Nutrients
Water uptake
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
25. Distinguish between biome and biosphere.
26. Complete the climographs for these biomes. Make notes on vegetal characteristics below
each.
27. Although biomes can be described separately, they tie in to the global biosphere.
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com
Essential Biology 5.1 & G2: Communities, Ecosystems & Biomes
Use the map below to outline the distribution of the major biomes:
Stephen Taylor
Bandung International School
http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com