Download Organization of the Biosphere:

MEMO
To: Honors Biology Students
Date: Summer 2015
Re: Your summer assignment
Dear Incoming Honors Biology Student:
Welcome to Honors Biology! We have many
topics to cover in Honors Biology this year, and the
attached summer assignment will give us a good head
start in completing them. Your assignment is on the
topic of Ecology, a subject with which you hopefully
have some familiarity.
You will need to use your textbook Holt
McDougal’s, Biology. You are to be as thorough as
possible in completing this assignment. A portion of
this assignment will also serve as your “notes” for
this chapter. Your assignment will be due on the
first FULL DAY of class and you shall hand it in to
your instructor at that time.
Good luck and enjoy your summer!
COVER PAGE
Honors Biology
Summer Assignment
Name:
Directions: Complete the following pages
using your textbook to find the answers to
the questions. Write your answers in the
spaces provided.
Be thorough and write
neatly!
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT/NOTES
CHAPTER 13 – PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY
Chapter 13.1 – Pages 396-401
Ecologist Study Relationships

What is Ecology?
Define “Ecology”

Levels of Organization.
Define & give an example of the following:

Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biome

Observation Outline the types of observations that ecologists may make

Experimentation List and describe the benefits and problems with the two types
of experiments that ecologists may conduct.

Modeling: describe what is meant by modeling, why modeling is used, and give
an example of its use.
Chapter 13.2 – Pages 402-405
Biotic and Abiotic Factors

Biotic Factors (define and list examples)

Abiotic Factors (define and list examples)

Biodiversity (Define and state the areas (s) which have high levels of biodiversity)

Keystone Species (define and explain how beavers are a keystone species)
Chapter 13.3 – Pages 406-407
Energy in Ecosystems
Define and, where appropriate, give examples of of the following:

Producers:

Autotrophs:
◦ auto◦ -troph

Consumers:

Heterotrophs:
◦ hetero-

Chemosynthesis and Chemosynthetic organisms
What is the role of photosynthetic organisms in energy capture and transfer?
Chapter 13.4 – Pages 408-411
Food Chains and Food Webs

Food Chain: (define and provide example)

Types of Consumers
Describe and give examples of the following heterotrophs:

Herbivores --

Carnivores --

Omnivores –

Detritovores –

Decomposers –

Specialist –

Generalist –
Define the following terms and give examples, where appropriate, of who they are,
what they do or what they eat.

Trophic Levels –

Producers

Primary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Tertiary Consumers
What is being transferred from Producers up to the different levels of Consumers?
Define a Food Web and compare and contrast it with a food chain.
Draw arrows indicating the flow of energy in this food web:
Chapter 13.5 – Pages 412 – 416
Cycling of Matter
Define, describe, and label the diagrams of the following cycles:

Hydrologic cycle

Biogeochemical cycles
 The Oxygen Cycle

Carbon Cycle
 Nitrogen Cycle:

Phosphorus Cycle:
Chapter 13.6 – Pages 417 – 419
Pyramid Models

Where do ecosystems get their energy?

Describe the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels? How much is
lost between levels? Where does the energy go? Describe and label the Energy
Pyramid.

Define Biomass and describe what is going on at each level of a Biomass Pyramid.

Describe, in general terms, the number of individual organisms we typically
expect to see in each trophic level.
Intentionally
Blank
CHAPTER 14 INTERACTIONS IN ECOSYSTEMS
Chapter 14.1 pgs 426-430
Habitat and Niche

A habitat differs from a niche.
Define “Habitat”
Define “Niche” and provide a description of what an organism’s niche includes

Resource availability give structure to a community.
Define and explain “Competitive Exclusion” and the following terms also.
o Niche Partitioning
o Evolutionary Response

Ecological Equivalents
Define Ecological equivalents and describe an example.
Chapter 14.2 Pgs 431-435
Community Interactions

Competition and predation are two important ways in which organisms interact.
o Define “Competition” and give an example.
o Define “Predation” and give an example

Symbiosis is a close relationship between species.
Define “Symbiosis”
o Define “Mutualism” and give an example.
o Define “Commensalism” and give an example.
o Define “Parasitism” and give an example.
Chapter 14.3 pgs 436-439
Population Density and Distribution

Define “Population density”
o Provide the equation for calculating population density:
o Calculate the density of bison if there are 300 bison counted in a 40 square kilometer
area. Show you work.

Geographic dispersion of a population shows how individuals in a population are spaced.
o Define “Clumped Dispersion” Provide an example and draw an illustration in the box
provided.
o Define “Uniformed Dispersion” Provide an example and draw an illustration in the box
provided.
o Define “Random Dispersion” Provide an example and draw an illustration in the box
provided.

Survivorship curves help to describe the reproductive strategy of a species.
Define the “Survivorship Curve”
In general, what is a reproductive strategy?
Describe each of the following strategies and give an example. Then, graph and label all
three in the space provided.
o Type I
o Type II
o Type III
Chapter 14.4 pgs 440-444
Population Growth Patterns

Changes in a population’s size are determined by immigration, births, emigration and deaths.
Describe some factors that can have an impact on the size of a population (other than the
ones listed above):
Define and describe the impact of the following factors:
o Immigration
o Births
o Emigration
o Deaths

Population growth is based on available resources.
Define “exponential growth”. List and describe factors and conditions under which
exponential growth occurs. Draw a general graph depicting an exponential growth curve in
the space provided,
Define “logistic growth”. List and describe factors and conditions under which logistic growth
occurs. Draw a general graph depicting an logistic growth curve in the space provided.
Define “Carrying Capacity”

Is the carrying capacity in an environment always the same, or can it change?
EXPLAIN.
Define “Population crash” Describe why one may occur.

Ecological factors limit population growth.
Define the general term “Limiting Factor”
o Define, in general what is meant by a “density-dependent limiting factor”
o Describe how each of the following acts to limit growth in a density dependent way.

Competition

Predation

Parasitism and disease
o Define, in general what is meant by a “density-independent limiting factor”
o Describe how each of the following acts to limit growth in a density independent way.

Unusual weather

Human Activities
Answer the following questions using the information below:
Isle Royale National Park on a remote island was established in 1940, and designated a wilderness area in
1976. The only mode of transportation available is by boat or seaplane. Moose first arrived at Isle Royale
around 1900. The moose population tends to increase in years with mild winters, early spring green-up,
abundant winter forage, low wolf numbers and low levels of tick infestation. Wolves first arrived at the island
on an ice bridge from Canada in 1940. Disease has also influenced the wolf population. Between 1980 and
1982, the wolf population declined from 50 to 14, due to canine parvovirus.
1. What is the greatest moose population? What year did that occur? What was the wolf population when
the moose population the greatest? ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. What would happen to the wolf population if the moose population decreases? __________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. What would happen to the moose population if the wolves were removed from Isle Royale?
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe the pattern between the wolf (predator) population in relation to the moose (prey) population.
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. Identify a factor, other than moose population, that has influenced the wolf population in Isle Royale.
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Identify two factors, other than the wolf population, that may influence the moose population.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 14.5 pgs 445-47
Ecological Succession

Succession occurs following a disturbance in an ecosystem.
Define “succession”
o Define “primary succession”. Define “pioneer organisms”.

Set forth the steps of primary succession from beginning to end.
o Define “secondary succession” and describe the steps.
o
How are primary and secondary succession similar? How are they different?