EEB 2244 FINAL EXAM ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Net production efficiency - ✔✔of food assimilated, some is used for growth &
reproduction, the rest is lost through respiration
(net production energy)/(assimilated energy)
Lower for homeothermic and mobile animals than poikilothermic and sedentary ones.
✔✔Ecological efficiency - ✔✔net production from one trophic level compared to the next
lower trophic level
(net production energy of a trophic level)/(net production energy of the next lower
trophic level)
✔✔decomposition - ✔✔Detritivores & decomposers break-down wastes and dead
organisms.
Important for nutrient cycling
As in other levels energy mostly released as heat during respiration
Only small amount of energy recycled back through decomposers
✔✔Nitrogen - ✔✔(element composition of organisms)
bacteria- 10
plant (corn)- 1.46
animal (human)- 9.33
, ✔✔Phosphorus - ✔✔(element composition of organisms)
bacteria- (2.0-3.0)
plant (corn)- 0.20
animal (human)- 3.11
✔✔Nutrients - ✔✔elements required by organisms for metabolism and growth
✔✔Biogeochemistry - ✔✔physical, chemical, biological factors that influence the
movements and transformation of elements
✔✔Assimilation - ✔✔requires energy:
inorganic -> organic
✔✔Dissimilation - ✔✔releases energy:
organic -> inorganic
✔✔Minerals in rocks - ✔✔abiotic source of nutrients:
-potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus
-weathering
✔✔Gases in atmosphere - ✔✔abiotic source of nutrients:
-78% N, 21% O, 0.9% argon, 0.039% CO2
-atmospheric deposition
-chemical fixation
✔✔Mechanical weathering - ✔✔physical alteration of rocks
(freezing, wetting/rewetting, "broken apart)
-lichens
✔✔Chemical weathering - ✔✔minerals subjected to chemical processes
(oxidation)
-lichens
✔✔Atmospheric deposition - ✔✔precipitation, particles, aerosols, and gases move from
the atmosphere to the earth's surface
✔✔Hydrologic cycle - ✔✔movement of water through ecosystems and atmosphere
driven by evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation
✔✔Detritivores - ✔✔physically break organic matter into smaller pieces
✔✔Decomposers - ✔✔organisms which break dead organic matter into inorganic
elements
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Net production efficiency - ✔✔of food assimilated, some is used for growth &
reproduction, the rest is lost through respiration
(net production energy)/(assimilated energy)
Lower for homeothermic and mobile animals than poikilothermic and sedentary ones.
✔✔Ecological efficiency - ✔✔net production from one trophic level compared to the next
lower trophic level
(net production energy of a trophic level)/(net production energy of the next lower
trophic level)
✔✔decomposition - ✔✔Detritivores & decomposers break-down wastes and dead
organisms.
Important for nutrient cycling
As in other levels energy mostly released as heat during respiration
Only small amount of energy recycled back through decomposers
✔✔Nitrogen - ✔✔(element composition of organisms)
bacteria- 10
plant (corn)- 1.46
animal (human)- 9.33
, ✔✔Phosphorus - ✔✔(element composition of organisms)
bacteria- (2.0-3.0)
plant (corn)- 0.20
animal (human)- 3.11
✔✔Nutrients - ✔✔elements required by organisms for metabolism and growth
✔✔Biogeochemistry - ✔✔physical, chemical, biological factors that influence the
movements and transformation of elements
✔✔Assimilation - ✔✔requires energy:
inorganic -> organic
✔✔Dissimilation - ✔✔releases energy:
organic -> inorganic
✔✔Minerals in rocks - ✔✔abiotic source of nutrients:
-potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus
-weathering
✔✔Gases in atmosphere - ✔✔abiotic source of nutrients:
-78% N, 21% O, 0.9% argon, 0.039% CO2
-atmospheric deposition
-chemical fixation
✔✔Mechanical weathering - ✔✔physical alteration of rocks
(freezing, wetting/rewetting, "broken apart)
-lichens
✔✔Chemical weathering - ✔✔minerals subjected to chemical processes
(oxidation)
-lichens
✔✔Atmospheric deposition - ✔✔precipitation, particles, aerosols, and gases move from
the atmosphere to the earth's surface
✔✔Hydrologic cycle - ✔✔movement of water through ecosystems and atmosphere
driven by evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation
✔✔Detritivores - ✔✔physically break organic matter into smaller pieces
✔✔Decomposers - ✔✔organisms which break dead organic matter into inorganic
elements
