ESS 108 Final Exam UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Theorized life began on Earth with first ____ years of formation - CORRECT ANSWER 1
billion
In first 4 billion years, life evolved in the oceans, which filtered _______ - CORRECT ANSWER
harmful UV rays
Life emerged onto land just ____ years ago after enough ____ and ____ had accumulated in the
atmosphere - CORRECT ANSWER 5 million, oxygen, ozone
how much of all incoming solar radiation is used for photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER
1%
define photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER synthesis of sugars (glucose) from atmospheric
carbon dioxide and water by autotrophs
define autotrophs - CORRECT ANSWER organism that produces their own food from sunlight
what is released as by-product of photosynthesis? - CORRECT ANSWER oxygen
Of the 1% of solar radiation used for photosynthesis, how much is used by the plant for nutrition? -
CORRECT ANSWER 1/2 (0.5%)
What happens to the 1/2 percent of solar radiation that isn't used for plan nutrition? - CORRECT
ANSWER stored in tissue of plants parts as energy which is passed on when either the plant
DIES and DECOMPOSES (energy into soil) OR the plant is EATEN by an animal
define food chain - CORRECT ANSWER the cycling of energy through the biosphere
accomplished by sequential predation
,define sequential predation - CORRECT ANSWER organisms feed upon one another, with
organisms at one level providing food for organisms at the next higher level
define ecosystem - CORRECT ANSWER all organisms and non-living entities that occur and
interact in a particular area at the same time
define biogeography - CORRECT ANSWER study of distribution of organisms on Earth
Each level in food chain is point of energy transfer, meaning energy is transferred to the higher
organism. Describe. - CORRECT ANSWER environment (sun) -> organism (plant) -> another
organism (animal)
trophic level - CORRECT ANSWER ranking in feeding hierarchy
Trophic level 1 - CORRECT ANSWER plants are producer autotrophs that make energy
available to rest of life on Earth
Trophic level 2 - CORRECT ANSWER producer plants eaten by primary consumers called
herbivores (plant eaters)
Trophic level 3 - CORRECT ANSWER herbivores eaten by secondary consumers called
carnivores (meat eaters)
Trophic level 4 - CORRECT ANSWER carnivores eaten by other carnivores called tertiary
consumers
define omnivores - CORRECT ANSWER animals that eat both plants and meat (humans and
bears)
Trophic level 5 - CORRECT ANSWER decomposers (microscopic organisms that consume
dead organisms and waste of living organisms, thereby returning the energy of the food chain to the
soil from the waste and the dead to help grow plants)
, define food web - CORRECT ANSWER a network of who feeds on whom; an integrated food
chain
Compared to a simple food chain, how accurate/realistic is a food web? - CORRECT ANSWER
more accurate and realistic
Food pyramid - CORRECT ANSWER representation of transference of energy through an
ecosystem based on quantity and bulk of units
3 characteristics of an ecosystem (SPC) - CORRECT ANSWER structure, processes, changes
Which are there more of: lower trophic level organisms or higher trophic level organisms? -
CORRECT ANSWER lower trophic level
Each organisms at every level uses ___ of energy acquired from food item for own sustenance,
passing on only ___ to the organism that eats it - CORRECT ANSWER 90%, 10%
Who contains the most energy in the food web/network? - CORRECT ANSWER lowest
trophic levels
define biota - CORRECT ANSWER the total complex of plant and animal life
Highest level in biota - CORRECT ANSWER Kingdoms (animals, plants, micro-organisms)
Order of taxonomic classificiation (DKPCOFGS) - CORRECT ANSWER Domain, kingdom,
phylum, class, order, family, genus species
climatic factors on the distribution of terrestrial biota (MTL) - CORRECT ANSWER moisture,
temperature, light
How does MOISTURE influence the distribution of terrestrial biota - CORRECT ANSWER 1)
Mass of all living things are 60-95% water, 2) specific composition of organisms in an ecosystem are
very dependent on the AMOUNT and the TIMING of precipitation
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Theorized life began on Earth with first ____ years of formation - CORRECT ANSWER 1
billion
In first 4 billion years, life evolved in the oceans, which filtered _______ - CORRECT ANSWER
harmful UV rays
Life emerged onto land just ____ years ago after enough ____ and ____ had accumulated in the
atmosphere - CORRECT ANSWER 5 million, oxygen, ozone
how much of all incoming solar radiation is used for photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER
1%
define photosynthesis - CORRECT ANSWER synthesis of sugars (glucose) from atmospheric
carbon dioxide and water by autotrophs
define autotrophs - CORRECT ANSWER organism that produces their own food from sunlight
what is released as by-product of photosynthesis? - CORRECT ANSWER oxygen
Of the 1% of solar radiation used for photosynthesis, how much is used by the plant for nutrition? -
CORRECT ANSWER 1/2 (0.5%)
What happens to the 1/2 percent of solar radiation that isn't used for plan nutrition? - CORRECT
ANSWER stored in tissue of plants parts as energy which is passed on when either the plant
DIES and DECOMPOSES (energy into soil) OR the plant is EATEN by an animal
define food chain - CORRECT ANSWER the cycling of energy through the biosphere
accomplished by sequential predation
,define sequential predation - CORRECT ANSWER organisms feed upon one another, with
organisms at one level providing food for organisms at the next higher level
define ecosystem - CORRECT ANSWER all organisms and non-living entities that occur and
interact in a particular area at the same time
define biogeography - CORRECT ANSWER study of distribution of organisms on Earth
Each level in food chain is point of energy transfer, meaning energy is transferred to the higher
organism. Describe. - CORRECT ANSWER environment (sun) -> organism (plant) -> another
organism (animal)
trophic level - CORRECT ANSWER ranking in feeding hierarchy
Trophic level 1 - CORRECT ANSWER plants are producer autotrophs that make energy
available to rest of life on Earth
Trophic level 2 - CORRECT ANSWER producer plants eaten by primary consumers called
herbivores (plant eaters)
Trophic level 3 - CORRECT ANSWER herbivores eaten by secondary consumers called
carnivores (meat eaters)
Trophic level 4 - CORRECT ANSWER carnivores eaten by other carnivores called tertiary
consumers
define omnivores - CORRECT ANSWER animals that eat both plants and meat (humans and
bears)
Trophic level 5 - CORRECT ANSWER decomposers (microscopic organisms that consume
dead organisms and waste of living organisms, thereby returning the energy of the food chain to the
soil from the waste and the dead to help grow plants)
, define food web - CORRECT ANSWER a network of who feeds on whom; an integrated food
chain
Compared to a simple food chain, how accurate/realistic is a food web? - CORRECT ANSWER
more accurate and realistic
Food pyramid - CORRECT ANSWER representation of transference of energy through an
ecosystem based on quantity and bulk of units
3 characteristics of an ecosystem (SPC) - CORRECT ANSWER structure, processes, changes
Which are there more of: lower trophic level organisms or higher trophic level organisms? -
CORRECT ANSWER lower trophic level
Each organisms at every level uses ___ of energy acquired from food item for own sustenance,
passing on only ___ to the organism that eats it - CORRECT ANSWER 90%, 10%
Who contains the most energy in the food web/network? - CORRECT ANSWER lowest
trophic levels
define biota - CORRECT ANSWER the total complex of plant and animal life
Highest level in biota - CORRECT ANSWER Kingdoms (animals, plants, micro-organisms)
Order of taxonomic classificiation (DKPCOFGS) - CORRECT ANSWER Domain, kingdom,
phylum, class, order, family, genus species
climatic factors on the distribution of terrestrial biota (MTL) - CORRECT ANSWER moisture,
temperature, light
How does MOISTURE influence the distribution of terrestrial biota - CORRECT ANSWER 1)
Mass of all living things are 60-95% water, 2) specific composition of organisms in an ecosystem are
very dependent on the AMOUNT and the TIMING of precipitation
