Unit 3: ecology and energy flow
4.2.A
o As energy flows through the ecosystem, all organisms capture a portion of that
energy and transform it to a form they can use
o Illustrate and describe the flow of energy within a food web
o Explain why there are generally more producers than consumers in an energy
pyramid
o Predict how the use and flow of energy will be altered due to changes in a food
web
4.2. B
o Matter is recycled through an ecosystem
o Explain the processes in the recycling of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon through an
ecosystem
o Explain the importance of the recycling of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon within an
ecosystem
1.1.I
o Mass is conserved during any physical or chemical change
o Compare the mass of the reactants to the mass of the products in a chemical
reaction or physical change (e.g., biochemical processes, carbon dioxide-oxygen
cycle, nitrogen cycle, decomposition and synthesis reactions involved in a food
web) as support for the Law of Conservation of Mass
1.2.F
 Energy can be transferred within a system as the total amount of energy remains
constant (i.e., Law of Conservation of Energy)
 Classify the different ways to store energy (i.e., chemical, nuclear, thermal,
mechanical, electromagnetic) and describe the transfer of energy as it changes
from kinetic to potential, while the total amount of energy remains constant,
within a system (e.g., biochemical processes, carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle,
nitrogen cycle, food web)
3.2Fc
 Explain how water is important to cells (e.g., is a buffer for body temperature,
provides soluble environment for chemical reactions, serves as a reactant in
chemical reactions, provides hydration that maintains cell turgidity, maintains
protein shape)
Sequence:
Read chapter 2 (section 2.2 and 15.2)
Topic: food webs
Assmt: vocabulary
Intro to food webs
Le: pyramids
Pyramid
Le: types of food webs
Assmt: food web
Le water
Le: variables
Case studies from student food webs
Le nutrient cycles
Le: variables
Biology I
Ecology and flow of energy
Outline
I.
Food webs
A. Trophic levels all begins with the ___ ___ ___
1. producers aka _____________trophs
a. their job is to convert abiotic ___________ and energy
from the __________ into biotic ___________, usually
using ______________________
b. examples: ________________, ______________
2. consumers aka _________________trophs
a. their job is to convert biotic __________________ into
biotic ________________________, usually using
__________________________
b. types
a. primary (1st order) aka ________________
examples are ________________,
_______________
b. secondary (2nd order) aka ________________
examples are _______________,
________________
c. tertiary (3rd order) , quaternary (4th order)
d. omnivores 1-4+
3. recyclers
a. their job is to convert dead biotic __________________
into abiotic and biotic ________________________,
usually using __________________________
b. types
a. decomposers examples are _________________
and ________________
b. scavengers examples are __________________ and
_______________
B. 10% rules
1. 10% rule and the energy pyramid states ____________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
An example of this is __________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. 10% rule and the biomass pyramid states __________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
An example of this is __________________________________
____________________________________________________
3. numbers ‘pyramid’ states _______________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
An example of this is __________________________________
____________________________________________________
C. Types
1. terrestrial
a. are principally located on ________________.
b. An example is ___________________________________
________________________________________________
c. Some major advantages are _________________________
________________________________________________
2. aquatic
a. are principally located in the _______________________.
b. An example is ___________________________________
________________________________________________
c. Some major advantages are _________________________
________________________________________________
d. Special properties of water that support life (internal as
well as external)
a. Buffer for body _______________ because of high
______________ heat. Ex: ___________________
__________________________________________
b. Buffer for _______________ because of its ability
to be an _________________ or ______________.
Ex: _____________________________________
c. Helps to dissolve and transport nutrients because of
________________. Ex: _____________________
_________________________________________
d. Place for ____________ _____________ to occur.
Ex:_______________________________________
3. hybrid- of course all food webs depend on __________________
D. Variables
1. No food web is __________________. One change results in at
least _______________ and sometimes many more.
2. examples:
a. a decrease in sun results in ________________________
______________________________________________
b. an increase in rain _______________________________
______________________________________________
c. a decrease in grass _______________________________
______________________________________________
d. an increase in predator populations___________________
_______________________________________________
II.
Nutrient cycles
A. 1st law of thermodynamics- ____________ can neither be _____________
nor ___________________. So it must be _________________________
B. Types
1. Water cycle
a. Exists primarily as _____________
b. processes
a. condensation/precipitation (biotic/ abiotic)_________
__________________________________________
b. evaporation (biotic/ abiotic) _________________________
__________________________________________________
c. combustion (biotic/ abiotic) _________________________
__________________________________________________
d. respiration (biotic/ abiotic) __________________________
__________________________________________________
e. transpiration (biotic/ abiotic) ________________________
__________________________________________________
f. aids in chemical reactions (biotic/ abiotic) ____________
__________________________________________________
2. Carbon cycle
a. Exists primarily as _____________________________
_____________________________________________
b. Major processes
a. photosynthesis(biotic/ abiotic) ____________________
_______________________________________________
b. combustion(biotic/ abiotic) _______________________
_______________________________________________
c. respiration/ cellular respiration(biotic/ abiotic) ______
________________________________________
d. consumption(biotic/ abiotic) ________________________
__________________________________________________
e. decomposition(biotic/ abiotic) _______________________
__________________________________________________
3. Nitrogen cycle
a. Exists primarily as _____________________________
_____________________________________________
b. processes
a. nitrogen fixation(biotic/ abiotic) _____________________
__________________________________________________
b. denitrification(biotic/ abiotic) _______________________
__________________________________________________
c. nitrification(biotic/ abiotic) __________________________
__________________________________________________
d. consumption(biotic/ abiotic) _________________________
__________________________________________________
e. denitrification(biotic/ abiotic) _______________________
__________________________________________________
f. decomposition(biotic/ abiotic) _______________________
_________________________________________________
C. Variables
1. No nutrient cycle is __________________. One change results in
at least _______________ and sometimes many more.
2. examples:
a. an increase in carbon dioxide results in ______________
______________________________________________
b. an increase in rain _______________________________
______________________________________________
c. a decrease in evaporation __________________________
______________________________________________
d. an increase in lightening ___________________________
_______________________________________________