Bozeman Science: Ecosystems Guided Viewing
1: What is primary productivity? What do we measure it in? (units)
Primary productivity is the amount of biomass the producers within an ecosystem lay down. We measure it in grams of carbon per meter square per year (g C/m^2/yr)
2: What are producers? Who are the main producers in the ocean? How is this measured in an aquatic environment?
Producers are organisms that can make their own food and are mainly found in the ocean as algae
3: What is a trophic level? List and define the trophic levels. (Give examples) In which direction does the arrow go in a food web? Explain.
Trophic levels are eating levels. The lowest level are known as producers that can make their own food. The second level are consumers that are herbivores. The third level are consumers that are called carnivores. The arrow goes up, because the next level consumer always consumes lower level consumers.
4: What is a food web? How is it different than food chains?
A food web shows all of the connections and all interactions. It's different than a food chain because food chains only show the trophic levels.
5: Explain the limiting factors for growth in ecosystems. Explain logistic growth.
Density, food, competition, and geological changes are the limiting factors of an ecosystems. Logistic growth is the growth of a specie until it reaches a limit.
6: What is the carrying capacity (K) of an ecosystem?
The maximum limit of species that an ecosystem can support.
7: What factors affect the carrying capacity of a population? Explain how wolves and elk populations are linked and how they will reach equilibrium.
The factors affect the carrying capacity of a population are depending on one another to not over populate, not enough food, and competition. Wolves and elk populations are linked as elk population decreases, and wolf population increases. Because with less wolves, there will be more elk. With more wolves there would be less elk, and eventually this will cause starvation to occur for those wolves who can't feed themselves. This will happen till both populations are balanced.
8: Summarize the story of the Whitebark Pine and how humans can impact an entire ecosystem by choices we make (directly or indirectly).
Whitebark Pine is a place found in high areas that can survive through low temperatures. They produce pine nuts for squirrels to eat and are stored in mittens which are usually taken by bears. The changes in global temperature create warmer conditions to Whitebarks causing lanimals to decrease because there won't be enough nuts for squirrels and bears.
Primary productivity is the amount of biomass the producers within an ecosystem lay down. We measure it in grams of carbon per meter square per year (g C/m^2/yr)
2: What are producers? Who are the main producers in the ocean? How is this measured in an aquatic environment?
Producers are organisms that can make their own food and are mainly found in the ocean as algae
3: What is a trophic level? List and define the trophic levels. (Give examples) In which direction does the arrow go in a food web? Explain.
Trophic levels are eating levels. The lowest level are known as producers that can make their own food. The second level are consumers that are herbivores. The third level are consumers that are called carnivores. The arrow goes up, because the next level consumer always consumes lower level consumers.
4: What is a food web? How is it different than food chains?
A food web shows all of the connections and all interactions. It's different than a food chain because food chains only show the trophic levels.
5: Explain the limiting factors for growth in ecosystems. Explain logistic growth.
Density, food, competition, and geological changes are the limiting factors of an ecosystems. Logistic growth is the growth of a specie until it reaches a limit.
6: What is the carrying capacity (K) of an ecosystem?
The maximum limit of species that an ecosystem can support.
7: What factors affect the carrying capacity of a population? Explain how wolves and elk populations are linked and how they will reach equilibrium.
The factors affect the carrying capacity of a population are depending on one another to not over populate, not enough food, and competition. Wolves and elk populations are linked as elk population decreases, and wolf population increases. Because with less wolves, there will be more elk. With more wolves there would be less elk, and eventually this will cause starvation to occur for those wolves who can't feed themselves. This will happen till both populations are balanced.
8: Summarize the story of the Whitebark Pine and how humans can impact an entire ecosystem by choices we make (directly or indirectly).
Whitebark Pine is a place found in high areas that can survive through low temperatures. They produce pine nuts for squirrels to eat and are stored in mittens which are usually taken by bears. The changes in global temperature create warmer conditions to Whitebarks causing lanimals to decrease because there won't be enough nuts for squirrels and bears.