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Biology Form II
Pre-TEST: BALANCE OF NATURE
Multiple Choice: Write the letter of the correct answer in the BOX and circle the answer under the question.
1. The trophic level of organisms such as producers, consumers and decomposers is determined by:
a. Their body size and shape.
b. the Kingdom which they are members.
c. they similar nutritonal habits and feeding level
2. Biotic community and abiotic factors constitute:
a. ecosystem
b. ecology
c. biosphere
d. community
3. When one species gets nutrients from another species and does harm:
a. mutualism.
b. parasitism
c. commensalism
4. The mode of nutrition where two different species have a beneficial relationship is called:
a. mutualism.
b. parasitism
c. commensalism
5. The total dry weight of organislms in an area at a given time:
a. growth.
b. weight.
c. biomass
Short Answer
1) Write the trophic level for each type of organism:
Organism plant herbivore carnivore top carnivore bacteria and fungi
Trophic level

2) Matching: Write answers in the chart below

i) habitat a) A group of organisms of the same species living in an area.

ii) population b) All the organisms including all the different species that are living in an area.
iii) ecosystem c) The study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment.
iv) ecology d) The living organisms and their environment, in a certain place, such as a forest or a pond.
v) community e) The place where an organism lives, such as a coral reef, a desert, or a pond.
Answers
i ii iii iv v

3) What is the relationship between a food chain and a food web?

4) Explain how producers and consumers are involved in the carbon cycle.

5) Explain two natural ways that atmospheric nitrogen is converted into nitrates in the soil.
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BALANCE OF NATURE
Form II Biology
Copy the notes and questions. Write the answers in your Biology Counter Book. Remember to include this
topic (BALANCE OF NATURE Study Guide) in your Table of Contents and the pages that your work can be
found.
Refer to the following pages to complete the activities in this study guide.
 Pages 208 - 219, Introduction to Biology Third Tropical Edition

The concept of natural Environment

 The natural environment of an organism is all that surrounds that organism. This includes both the living
and non-living things that surround it.
The living things such as other plants and animals are called the biotic part of the environment. The non-
living things such as rocks, soil, water, sunlight, air, climate and weather are called the abiotic parts.
Biotic = living organisms in the environment
Abiotic= non-living things in the environment
 A biological community is group of living organisms in an environment that depend on each other for
life. A community includes organisms from all five kingdoms, Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, Protoctista, and
Monera. Producers are organisms that areBalance able to make their own food. Consumers are organisms that rely
of Nature
There isfor
on other organisms a Balance of Nature inare
food. Decomposers which the losses are
top consumers thatequal to the
eat dead replacements
plants and animals for food.
 and materials are reused over and over again in the environment.
A habitat is where an organism lives. For example, the habitat of the weaver bird is the palm tree, but its
environment includes the palm tree, the wind, rain, insects and bacteria.
 Materials
An ecosystem is the and molecules
community are reused
of living organismsand recycled
in a habitatover
plusand
theover again. part of the
non-living
For example, when a plant or animal dies, its body materials are
environment. An ecosystem is self-supporting.
by bacteria and A forestTheis an ecosystem where the plants absorb light and
decomposed fungi. water, minerals and molecules
water to make food through
such photosynthesis;
as carbon and nitrogen theare
animals feed on
left behind the soil
in the plant food
and and onby
absorbed each other. The dead
plants and animalsplants
are decomposed
to grow their byplant
fungibodies
and bacteria whichphotosynthesis
(respiration, return nutrientsandto the soil for the plants to
grow. Another exampletranspiration).
is a lake.TheA lake
plants
is anareecosystem
eaten by animals
which consists
(respiration)
of the to
plant
makeandthings
animal
communities plus such as muscle
the water, and skin
minerals, tissuesoil,
oxygen, in their bodies. Excretion
and sunlight which theyofdepend
gaseousonwastes
to live
 returns is
A population in biology oxygen and
a single carbonthat
species dioxide,
lives in and
onenitrogen
habitat .gas
Fortoexample,
the air for
thereuse.
population of weaver
Also, or
birds in a village forest water, carbon andofnitrogen
the population Tilapiaare fishexcreted in solid
in a village lake.and liquid waste and
 returned to the soil for reuse.
Ecology is the branch of science that studies living organisms in relation to their environment. Therefore,
the study often
Energy occurs
flowsin(moves)
their environment.
from organism to organism or to the atmosphere,
The purpose of ecology
rivers, lakes, and is toocean
try to explain
by changinghow an organism survives and why it is successful in living in a
forms.
particular environment.
For example, light energy changes to chemical energy in the plant during
Abiotic Parts
photosynthesis. of the
Also, Environment
chemical energy in and Biotic
food Survival:
changes to heat energy and
energy of motion in digestion and respiration
These are factors that influence the success of living organisms to survive of animals. Excretion and
in an environment.
respiration by organisms releases heat energy into the environment.
 Light Intensity (ex: light for photosynthesis)
 Temperature
Processes that living (ex: warm or cool
organisms use to temperatures
recycle andappropriate
reuse materialsfor photosynthesis
and to move or
energyrespiration)
around in the environment are:
Decomposition
 Water and Humidity ( water in the atmosphere) (ex: appropriate for transpiration
Respiration
in plants and water in soil and rivers for plants and animals)
Digestion
Other factors such
Excretion as:
 Oxygen concentration (available to animals and plants for respiration)
Photosynthesis
Transpiration
 Carbon dioxide concentration ( available for photosynthesis in plants)
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Ecological Interaction of Organisms in the Environment

Physical Processes in the environment that recycle and reuse mineral elements and other materials:
 Water cycle
 Carbon cycle
 Nitrogen cycle

WATER CYCLE
Water molecules are cycled through the environment in the following
ways:
Evaporation of gaseous water from soil, lakes, rivers, and oceans into the
atmosphere.
 Condensation of liquid water in the upper atmosphere in the form of clouds.
Precipitation of water from the atmosphere to the soil, lakes, rivers, and
oceans in the form of rain and snow.
Transpiration of liquid water from the soil through xylem vascular cells in
plant roots, stems and leaves. Water is pulled into the atmosphere from the
leaves through stomata.
Drinking water by animals and excreting water through sweat, urine, and
respiration (breathing out waste water).

CARBON CYCLE
Carbon is in the air as carbon dioxide gas.
Plants and other producers take in carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis.
Through photosynthesis, producers convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates in the form of roots,
leaves and stems.
In producers, carbohydrates can be changed into proteins and fats high in carbon (beans and nuts).
The carbon element in these food substances is passed on to other organisms through “feeding levels” or
Trophic Levels of consumers.
When organisms die they are eaten by decomposers. This results in carbon dioxide released into the air
from the respiration of decomposers.
All consumers respire and release carbon dioxide into the air during their life.
Burning wood, charcoal, and oil releases carbon dioxide into the air. Charcoal and oil come from
ancient forests that have changed into underground fuel over millions of years.
Photosynthesis uses the carbon dioxide in the air and the cycle continues.
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Ecological Interaction of Organisms in the Environment
Physical Processes in the environment that recycle and reuse mineral elements and other materials:
 Water cycle
 Carbon cycle
 Nitrogen cycle

NITROGEN CYCLE
Nitrogen is the raw material for making proteins.
Proteins are the raw material for growth and repair or all
organism’s body. These are enzymes that control this.
Enzymes are proteins. Without proteins there would be no
growth, no life!

Nitrogen gas in the air must be changed into a nitrogen

compound (nitrates) before producers can absorb them
through their roots. There are two ways in nature to do this
and one way by industry:

Lightning storms cause nitrogen to combine with oxygen to

form nitric acid which falls to the ground. Then nitric acid
combines with other minerals to make nitrates in the soil.

“Nitrogen fixing” bacteria in the soil can absorb nitrogen gas

and produce nitrates for plants. Some nitrogen fixing bacteria
live in root nodules of bean plants.

Nitrogen gas is taken from the air changed into nitrogen

compounds for industrial uses.

Producers (plants) absorb the nitrates through their roots and

make protein foods such as beans and nuts.

Consumers eat the plant foods high in protein and nitrogen

compounds. These are used for enzymes to grow and to
make body tissues like muscles.

Producers and consumers die and decomposers breakdown

the proteins in their bodies into nitrogen compounds
(nitrates).

Some of these nitrates are compost for new plants and the
nitrogen cycle continues.

Some of the nitrates are changed back into nitrogen gas by

different bacteria and Nitrogen gas is released back into the
air.
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FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS
FOOD CHAIN:
A chain that shows the flow of energy and nutrients due to the interaction of different organisms through a
feeding relationship. The energy and molecules locked in the bodies of organisms are passed on by primary
consumers eating producers, secondary consumers eating primary consumers and tertiary consumers eating
secondary consumers. Finally, decomposers eat all dead producers and consumers returning the nutrient molecules
to the soil for the producers to grow again!
Organisms with similar nutritional habits that are grouped together called a feeding level or
TROPHIC LEVEL
 Trophic level: The ecological “feeding” relationship between living organisms in an environment.
1st Trophic Level:
Producers are organisms that can make their own food by photosynthesis. These are plants and
some protoctista and bacteria.
2nd Trophic Level:
Primary Consumers are organisms that feed on plants only. These are animals that are called
herbivores. For example, zebra, gazelles, wildebeest, cows and goats.
3rd Trophic Level:
Secondary Consumers are organisms that feed primarily on other herbivore animals. For
example, carnivores that eat primarily insects (insectivores) such as birds, frogs, and lizards.
4th Trophic Level:
Tertiary Consumers are organisms that feed primarily on secondary consumers carnivores. For
example carnivores such as lions, hyenas, humans, birds of prey such as eagles and owls.
Decomposers are bacteria and fungi that absorb nutrients from all dead organisms and can feed at all
levels.
An example of a FOOD CHAIN: from the Producer to the Decomposer

Green plants in water Tilapia fish heron hyena bacteria

FOOD WEB:
Food webs are a network of interrelated food chains. A food web shows a network of feeding relationships in
an ecosystem.
In nature, food and feeding relationships are not as simple as a food chain. For example Tilapia may eat small
protoctista organisms as well as green plants and herons eat other kinds of fish and get eaten by other things than
hyena. A FOOD WEB shows a network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

An example of a FOOD WEB:

DECOMPOSERS Bacteria and Fungi

Tertiary Consumers Lions Eagle Hyena 4th Trophic Level

DECOMPOSERS

Secondary Consumers Robin Chat Snake 3rd Trophic Level

Primary Consumers Zebra Grasshopper

Mutualism, Commensalism Gazelles
and Parasitic Relationships 2nd Trophic Level
Mutualism: Two organisms live in a close relationship with each other and they BOTH benefit each other.
Producers
Example: Nitrogen fixingGrass
bacteria and Bean plants. Shrubs 1st Trophic Level
Commensalism: Two organisms live in a close relationship with each other where one benefits and the
other is not harmed not helped. For example: Many bacteria live on our skin feeding on secretions from our
skin glands. This benefits the bacteria and does not harm us.
Parasitism: Two organisms live in a close relationship with each other but one benefits (called the parasite)
and the other is harmed (called the host). Example: Fleas live in the fur of mammals or feathers of birds and
sucks blood causing skin wounds a.
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Part I Vocabulary
Write the definition for the following terms.
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1 environment 7 biological population 13 food web

2 biotic 8 ecology 14 commensalism
3 abiotic 9 producers 15 mutualism
4 biological community 10 consumers 16 parasitism
5 habitat 11 decomposers
6 ecosystem 12 food chain

Part II Observations and Drawing

Sit outside and observe the ecosystem you are sitting in.
1. a. Draw a food chain that exists in your ecosystem that includes all tropic levels.

b. Draw a food web that includes the food chain that you made in question number 1.

c. What is the relationship between your food chain and food web?

2. a. Explain what the green house effect is and how it is related to the carbon cycle.

b. How does the green house effect contribute to global climate change?