Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
In aquatic ecosystems like ponds, the cycling of matter and flow of energy are tightly connected. During daylight hours, algae and aquatic plants use carbon dioxide (
At night, when there’s no sunlight, both plants and animals rely on cellular respiration — they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide as they break down food molecules to obtain energy. This creates a daily rhythm: oxygen levels rise during the day and fall at night.
Meanwhile, matter is constantly recycled: carbon moves from the air to the water, into organisms, and back to the environment through respiration and decomposition. These processes illustrate the interconnectedness of producers, consumers, and decomposers — and how energy flows while matter cycles between living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Which process increases dissolved oxygen levels in the pond during daylight hours?
Using Table 1, describe the pattern between light level and dissolved oxygen throughout the day.
Explain why carbon dioxide levels rise at night in the pond ecosystem.
Does the data support the idea that energy flow (photosynthesis and respiration) causes predictable daily changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels?
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning:
Compare oxygen levels at 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM. What does this difference show about energy flow in the pond?
Which statement best explains how decomposers affect carbon cycling in a pond?