Extended Response Questions for the Ecology End of Unit Assessment

A. A major statement in ecology is "Energy Flows but Material Cycles" Using what we have studied in class and evidence from the Ecology Multi-Lab describe why this statement is true.

B. The structures an organism has develop slowly over time in response to stresses in the environment. This process is called Natural Selection. Use at least 2 examples to describe how natural selection works. Describe the stresses that an organism must adapt to and the role of mutations in adaptation.

C. Describe the flow of energy from the sun through the following food chain. Sun , flower, insect, snake, hawk What form is the energy in at each step? What process converts it from one form to another? Explain why a food web is a more realistic way to represent the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

D. Using evidence from the Ecology Multi-Lab, describe the process of photosynthesis and the effect of each component of photosynthesis on the health and development of the plant. For instance what effect does the quality of light have? How do you know it needs certain wavelengths? What evidence do you have to support this?

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