Misconception |
Reference* |
|
Varying the population size of a species will only affect
the others that are directly connected through a food chain. |
Griffiths & Grant 1985, Munson 1991 |
Varying the population size of a species may not affect
an ecosystem, because some organisms are not important. |
Munson 1991 |
Varying the population size of a species will affect
all other organisms to the same degree.
|
Griffiths & Grant 1985 |
Organisms higher in a food web eat everything that
is lower in the food web.
|
Griffiths & Grant 1985 |
The top of the food chain has the most energy
because it accumulates up the chain. |
Adeniyi 1985 |
Populations higher on a food web increase in number
because they deplete those lower in the web. |
Munson 1991 |
Total biomass for a trophic level is greatest at the top of the food web because the organisms are larger.
|
Brehm et al. 1986 |
| Ecosystems are not a functioning whole, but simply a collection of organisms. |
Brehm et al. 1986 |
| Communities change little over time. |
D'Avanzo 2003 |
| More herbivores than carnivores because people keep and breed herbivores. |
Leach et al. 1996 |
| Decomposers release some energy that is cycled back to plants. |
Lavoie 1997 |
| The nitrogen cycle is used to provide energy for the carbon cycle. |
Lavoie 1997 |
| The carbon cycle consists of photosynthesis and respiration. |
Lavoie 1997 |
| The number of producers is high to satisfy consumers. |
Leach et al. 1996 |
| Plants do not live in water. |
Adeniyi 1985 |
| Plants are dependent on people, not vice versa. |
Eisen and Stavy 1992 |
| Energy is not lost in trophic transfer. |
D'Avanzo 2003 |
| An organism cannot change trophic levels. |
Lavoie 1997 |
| Humans provide food for other organisms. |
Leach et al. 1996 |
|
*Complete references are available on the Resources
Page. |
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The
Ecosystem