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AP biology Ecology Test Study Guide
Standards: AP Biology IDEA 4 and SB4
ECOLOGY Study Guide
Multiple Choice Question Review (MCQ):
Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology (*Some information also found in the Fruit Fly behavior lab)
1. How do behavioral ecologists define behavior?
2. Define the following terms:
 Imprinting
 Innate behavior
3. Compare and contrast kinesis and taxis. Give an example of each.
4. Describe the following types of animal signals and communication.
 Visual
 Chemical
 Auditory
 Tactile
5. Define the following terms:
a. Learning
c. Classical conditioning
b. Habituation
d. Operant conditioning
6. Explain why natural selection can act on organismal behavior.
7. Define the following term:
a. Altruism
Chapter 52: An introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
1. Define the following terms:
a. Abiotic
b. Biotic
2. Understand the differences between population, community, ecosystem, biome and biosphere.
3. Explain the factors that affect dispersal of organisms. (wind, light, nutrients, CO2, O2, predators, prey, water,
temperature)
4. Describe the following aquatic biomes. Pay special attention to the physical environment, chemical environment, and
organisms present.
 Wetlands
 Intertidal Zones
 Streams and Rivers
 Coral Reef
 Estuaries
5. How does temperature and precipitation impact the distribution of terrestrial biomes?
6. Describe the following terrestrial biomes. Pay special attention to the distribution, precipitation, temperature and
organisms present.
 Tropical forest
 Desert
 Tundra
Chapter 53: Population Ecology
1. Define the following terms: a. Population
a. Density
b. Dispersion
c. Mark-recapture method
2. Label the three different survivorship curves on the diagram
the right. Give an example of an animal that fits the curve and
an explanation of why they fit the curve.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is zero population growth?
What is exponential population growth?
Explain why the logistical population growth model can
accurately model populations in the environment. Look at
the graph below, what does it tell you and why? How does
“K” fit in to all of this?
According to the graph to the right, which has the greatest
population growth rate: I, II, III, IV?
What is the difference between density-dependent and
density-independent factors as they relates to their effect
on populations? What are examples of each category of
factor?
How can an ecological footprint be useful?
II
I
III
IV
Chapter 54: Community Ecology
1. Define interspecific interactions.
2. What is an ecological niche
3. Explain what mutualistic, commensalistic, and parasitic relationships are and provide an example of each.
4. Provide an example that correctly uses the terms species diversity, species richness and relative abundance correctly.
5. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web? Which provides a more “full” ecological picture and why?
6. Explain why food chains are relatively short in terms of energy and numbers of individuals.
7. How do you characterize a dominant species? How is this different from a keystone species?
8. Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession.
9. Understand predator prey relationships and how their populations change over time (ie. Wolf and moose)
Chapter 55: Ecosystems
1. What are the two main groups of decomposers in an ecosystem? What are their roles?
2. Explain what “eutrophication” is and how it is caused.
3. Why is the energy transfer between trophic levels limited to about 10%?
4. Know the main players and consequences of the following cycles:
 Water – condensation, evaporation, precipitation and transpiration
 Carbon – photosynthesis, cellular respiration, burning fossil fuels, deforestation, global warming
 Nitrogen – bacteria, fixation, denitrification, fertilizers, limiting nutrients, algal blooms
5. Explain the concept of biological magnification and how it relates to the health warnings given to pregnant women about
the consumption of certain fish?
Chapter 56: Conservation Biology
1. Provide at least three benefits of maintaining a high level of biodiversity in the biosphere.
2. Explain how the following human-caused problems threaten biodiversity:
a. Habitat destruction
b. Introduced species /invasive species
3. Pick one of the case studies presented in the first part of the chapter (greater prairie chickens, red-cockaded woodpeckers
or grizzly bears). Explain why the population was threatened and how conservation efforts were aimed towards helping the
struggling population.
4. How do fragmentation and edges affect habitats?
Free Response Questions (FRQ’s):
2014 AP Biology Free response question #7
2015 AP Biology Free response question #4
*For information on these questions you can search for the question and the scoring guidelines.