Course: BIS 105 Environmental Biology

Unit 2 Learning Module

Review

Review Questions

1. Define abiotic and biotic components of the environment.

2. What does the biosphere consist of?

3. Compare and contrast the ecosystem concepts of niche and habitat.

4. How do autotrophs use energy to produce organic molecules?

5. Define three different types of consumers, and name an example of each.

6. How is energy transferred between trophic levels in a food chain?

7. Draw a terrestrial food chain that includes four trophic levels.

8. When an herbivore eats a plant, what happens to 90% of the energy obtained from that plant?

9. What is a biogeochemical cycle? Name one example.

10. Identify and define two processes by which water changes state in the water cycle.

11. State three ways that carbon dioxide enters Earth’s atmosphere.

12. How do bacteria convert nitrogen gas to a form that producers can use?

13. Describe all the ways that a single tree might be involved in the carbon cycle.

14. Explain why growing a crop of legumes can improve the ability of the soil to support the growth of other plants.

15. Identify a pool and a reservoir in the water cycle. Explain your choices.

16. The water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles are all influenced by human activity. Can you describe a human activity that impacts all three cycles? In your example, which of the cycles is most significantly altered?

17. Each year, around a quarter of the carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere is turned into plant matter via photosynthesis. Does this mean that, in the absence of human activity, all carbon dioxide would be removed from the atmosphere in around four years? Explain your answer.

Further Reading / Supplemental Links

- http://estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookcommecosys.html

- http://estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookcycles.html

- http://estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookpopecol.html

- http://www.enviroliteracy.org/category.php/3.html

- http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ecosystems/

- http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=88D6F188-E7F2-99DF-33EF7C83A99DCD04