Download Ecology Self-study guide

Ecology self-study guide
UNIT OBJECTIVES:
A. Be able to identify the various ecological levels of organization found in the biosphere.
Explain the idea of interconnectedness and how it relates to food webs and nutrient cycles.
(Pages 359-362)
B. Be able to explain how organisms react to changes either abiotic or biotic in their habitat
and how these changes must fall within a range of tolerance before they can survive. (363365)
C. Be able to explain, using an energy pyramid why many acres of land are needed before a
single consumer at the top of the pyramid such as a red tail hawk can exist. (366-369)
D. Describe the nitrogen cycle as it exists in a typical community. (Pages 373-374)
E. Describe the carbon cycle as it exists in a typical community. (Pages 372-373)
VOCABULARY LIST: Biotic factors, Niche, Abiotic factors, Habitat, Community, Symbiosis,
producer, consumer, trophic level, decomposer
Unit key concepts:
1) From pages 358-362 titled “Introduction to Ecology” be able to;
A) Describe the key theme that is always present in the study of ecology
B)
Explain the consequence of interconnectedness in ecology.
C)
Explain how models are useful in ecological study.
D)
List and define the levels of organization regarding ecology.
2) From pages 363-365 titled “Ecology of Organisms” be able to;
A) Contrast biotic and abiotic factors found in any environment.
B) Describe how different species adapt to changes in their environment.
C) Contrast conformers with regulators.
D) Define the term niche regarding a species.
E) Contrast the terms generalist and specialist regarding species and their niches.
3) From pages 366-367 titled “Energy Transfer”
A) Contrast producers and consumers.
B) Define the term biomass.
C) Define and contrast gross primary productivity and net primary productivity.
D) Name a type of ecosystem that has very high productivity and one that has very low
productivity.
E) What factors usually determine the level of productivity in an ecosystem.
F) Contrast herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
G) Define detritivores and decomposers.
4) From pages 368-369 titled "Energy Flow" be able to;
A) Explain the term trophic level.
B) Define “food chain”.
C) Define “food web” and explain how it is different than a food chain.
D) Explain how much energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level.
E) Explain why ecosystems usually have just a few trophic levels.
5) From pages 380-384 titled “Understanding Populations” be able to;
A) Define the term population.
B) Describe how population size and density differ.
6) From pages 385-387 titled “Measuring Populations” be able to;
A) Define growth rate regarding populations.
B) Calculate the per capita growth rate of a population given birth and death rates.
C) Contrast exponential and logistic growth.
D) Define limiting factor and explain how it effects exponential growth.
E) Describe how limiting factors create a carrying capacity for the growth curve.
F) Contrast the two types of limiting factors; density-dependent and density
independent.
7) From pages 390- 392 titled “Human Population Growth”
A) Explain how the development of agriculture changed the pattern of human
population growth
B) Describe changes in the human population size in the last 10,000 years.
C) Contrast developed country and developing country.
8) From pages 371-374 titled “Ecosystem Recycling”, be able to;
A) Explain how evaporation, transpiration, and precipitation all play a role in the water cycle.
C) Describe how photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and decomposition play a role in the cycle
carbon.
D) Explain how the nitrogen fixation bacteria play a critical role in the nitrogen cycle.
9) From pages 399-404 titled “Species Interactions”, be able to;
A) Explain the term Symbiosis.
B) Explain the biotic relationship called “Predator – prey”.
J) Contrast the symbiotic relationships termed “mutualism” and “commensalism”