Ch. 3 Outline
The Biosphere
Ecology
Name ___________________ Block_______ Date_________________
This outline
is worth 30
points.
As you read pages 63-80, answer the following
questions.
Section 3-1 What is Ecology?
1. Define the science of Ecology______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.
2. The Biosphere extends from 8 kilometers above the Earth’s surface to 11 kilometers below the
surface. What is it? _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
3. List the six different levels of organization that ecologists study, in order from smallest to
largest. 1)_____________ 2)____________ 3)______________ 4)_______________
5)_______________ and finally 6)_________________.
4. Describe the three basic ways of studying Ecology



Section 3-2 Energy Flow
5. What is the main source of energy come from for life on Earth? _______________. What
percent of this available energy is used by living things? ____________%
6. What is another name for a producer? _______________. What’s another name for a
consumer? __________________.
7. Most autotrophs get their energy from the sun through a process known as ________________.
What is the formula for this process ?
____________________
______________ + _______________
_______________ + ______________
Extra Credit! What is the chemical formula for this process?
____________________
______________ + _______________
_______________ + ______________
8. What’s the difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. What do each of the following consume to get their energy? Give an example of each
 Herbivore___________________ such as a_______________
 Carnivore___________________ such as a_______________
 Omnivore___________________ such as a_______________
 Detritivore___________________ such as a_______________
 Decomposer___________________ such as a_______________
10. Describe the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__.
11. Describe a food web using these terms; network, food chains, interaction, relationships
So, what is a food web?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________.
12. What proportion of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next? _____________.
13. Create a food chain using one of each of the following; omnivore, autotroph, herbivore
__________________________
__________________
_____________________
Section 3-3 Cycles of Matter Energy flows through an ecosystem, but matter is recycled!
14. Matter is the water, minerals and other life sustaining compounds that life on earth requires for
survival. Matter is passed from one organism to another and from one biosphere to another,
through _____________________________, connecting _____________,______________, and
__________________ aspects of the biosphere.
15. Use the diagram above and insert the correct process in each bubble.
16. How are evaporation and transpiration
related?________________________________________________________________________
17. What is a nutrient?______________________________________________________________.
18. What is the key ingredient in all living things? ______________________. What percent of this is
actively circulated in the biosphere? ___________%
19. Name the four kinds of processes involved in the carbon cycle in the biosphere and give an
example of each.
 ______________________ such as _________________________________________
 ______________________ such as _________________________________________
 ______________________ such as _________________________________________
 ______________________ such as _________________________________________
20. What percent of the air you breathe is nitrogen?_______________%
21. What is nitrogen fixation? ________________________________________________________
22. Nitrogen fixation is important because bacteria converts nitrogen into _______________ which
producers use to make ________________. Consumers then eat the producers and reuse the
________________ to make their own _________________________.
23. What process using bacteria in the soil returns nitrogen into the air ____________________.
24. Where is most of the phosphorus stored in the biosphere? ____________,________________,
and ___________________________.
25. What is primary productivity and how is it limited?
______________________________________________________________________________
limited by the amount of _________________________________________________________
26. A nutrient can be a limiting factor in an ecosystem. What is meant by the term limiting
nutrient? ______________________________________________________________________.
27. The fertilizers that farmers will be fertilizing their fields with very soon usually contain what
three important nutrients? _________________, ________________, and
______________________.