Ecology and Environment Flashcards

What is biomagnification?

Answer: Accumulation of toxins at higher trophic levels in a food chain

Biomagnification is the increasing concentration of persistent toxins (like DDT or mercury) in organisms at successively higher trophic levels.

Which gas is most responsible for acid rain?

Answer: Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) released from burning coal reacts with water vapor to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), the primary component of acid rain.

What is the correct term for organisms that break down dead organic matter into simpler inorganic substances?

Answer: Decomposers

Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) break down dead organic matter through enzymatic processes, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

What is the 10% law of energy transfer in ecosystems?

Answer: Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next

Lindeman's 10% law states that only about 10% of the energy stored in one trophic level is available to the next, with 90% lost as heat.

Which international agreement aimed to reduce substances that deplete the ozone layer?

Answer: Montreal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol (1987) is an international treaty that successfully phased out ozone-depleting substances like CFCs, allowing the ozone layer to recover.

What is the term for the full range of environmental conditions within which an organism can survive and reproduce?

Answer: Ecological niche

An ecological niche encompasses the functional role of an organism in its ecosystem, including its habitat, diet, behavior, and interactions with other species.