* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Ecology Test
Soundscape ecology wikipedia , lookup
Latitudinal gradients in species diversity wikipedia , lookup
Reforestation wikipedia , lookup
Photosynthesis wikipedia , lookup
Habitat conservation wikipedia , lookup
Biogeography wikipedia , lookup
Overexploitation wikipedia , lookup
Biodiversity wikipedia , lookup
Nitrogen cycle wikipedia , lookup
Pleistocene Park wikipedia , lookup
Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project wikipedia , lookup
River ecosystem wikipedia , lookup
Biodiversity action plan wikipedia , lookup
Ecological fitting wikipedia , lookup
Ecosystem services wikipedia , lookup
Triclocarban wikipedia , lookup
Ecological resilience wikipedia , lookup
Restoration ecology wikipedia , lookup
Sustainable agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Reconciliation ecology wikipedia , lookup
Human impact on the nitrogen cycle wikipedia , lookup
Ecological succession wikipedia , lookup
Natural environment wikipedia , lookup
Ecology Test Study Guide I. What is ecology? a. Define ecology Scientific study of the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment. b. List the different levels of organization in ecology. i. Individual ii. Population iii. Community iv. Ecosystem v. Biome vi. Biosphere c. Describe the difference between biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic – factors of an ecosystem that are living or once living Abiotic – factors of an ecosystem that are non-living such as temperature, precipitation, humidity and amount of sunlight. II. Energy, Producers, and Consumers a. Distinguish the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs. Autotrophs make their own food (food = sugar = glucose). Heterotrophs cannot make their own food and must take in food from their environment. b. Define primary producers. Primary producers make food using sunlight through photosynthesis. c. List the 6 different types of consumers. i. Carnivores ii. Herbivores iii. Omnivores III. iv. Scavengers v. Detritivores vi. Decomposers Energy Flow in an Ecosystem a. Distinguish the difference between food chains and food webs. Food chains show the flow of energy through an ecosystem by one feeding relationship. Food webs show the flow of energy through an ecosystem by ALL feeding relationships. b. Explain the role/importance of decomposers. Decomposers break down dead materials and return nutrients back to the environment. c. Define trophic level. Trophic levels are the level at which an organism feeds (obtains energy). d. Identify the 3 types of ecological pyramids. Energy pyramid Biomass pyramid Numbers pyramid e. Define the “Rule of Ten” Only ten percent moves up a trophic level because 90% gets used up. f. Define biomass. Biomass is the amount of living tissue. IV. Cycles of Matter a. What are biogeochemical cycles? The cycles of nutrients through the environment are water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycle. b. Describe the water cycle. Water precipitates, evaporate, and condenses to form clouds. Some water will be drawn up by plants and re-enter the atmosphere through transpiration. Water can also enter rivers and streams as run-off. Water can also be absorbed by the ground (infiltration/percolation) to become groundwater. c. Describe the carbon cycle. Carbon in carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis and put into glucose. Glucose is broken down through cellular respiration and CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. d. Describe the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen in nitrogen gas is “fixed” by nitrogen fixing bacteria into the soil as ammonium. Nitrifying bacteria convert it to nitrates which are then absorbed by plants. Denitrifying bacteria can release nitrates back into the atmosphere as nitrogen gas. e. Describe the phosphorus cycle. Phosphates are released from rocks from weathering and erosion. Phosphates are then absorbed by plants and transferred to other organisms through feeding relationships. When organisms die, their bodies are fossilized over a long period of time back into rocks. V. Climate a. Define climate. Climate is the long-term predictable pattern of temperature and precipitation of an ecosystem. b. Describe the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases trap heat after allowing visible light to enter the atmosphere. This trapped heat increases the temperature of the Earth’s surface. VI. Niches and Community Interactions a. Explain the competitive exclusion principle. Two species cannot occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time. Because of competition, the less competitive species does not survive. b. Describe the impact of a keystone species. The keystone species is the species that can cause a dramatic change in the structure of a community if it is disturbed. c. Define symbiosis. Symbiosis is a relationship between organisms of different species where at least one benefits. d. Provide examples and explanations for the three symbiotic relationships. Mutualism – both benefit. Commensalism – one benefits, the other is not affected. Parasitism – one benefits, the other is harmed. VII. Succession a. Define succession. Ecological succession is the predictable sequence of events in an ecosystem after a major disturbance b. Describe the difference between primary and secondary succession. Primary Succession – succession that begins with bare rock (no soil) (volcano, landslide) Secondary Succession – succession that begins with soil (forest fire, clear cutting c. Describe the role of a pioneer species. Pioneer species are organisms that start or initiate a community in an ecosystem such as moss and lichen. VIII. Biomes a. Identify the biome with… i. Most biodiversity – tropical rainforest ii. Canopy and understory – tropical rainforest iii. Least amount of rainfall – desert iv. Coniferous trees – coniferous forest v. Deciduous trees – temperate forest (dry/rain) vi. Permafrost - tundra IX. Aquatic Ecosystems a. Identify the three types of aquatic ecosystems. Freshwater, estuary and marine b. Identify three types of freshwater ecosystems. Rivers and streams; lakes and ponds; wetlands c. Describe the importance of estuaries. Breeding ground and nurseries of many animals X. Changing Landscape a. Define sustainable use. The responsible use of resources to maintain b. Distinguish renewable and nonrenewable resource. renewable resources can be replaced in a relatively short period of time. non renewable resources cannot be replenished or replaced once they are used. XI. Using Resources Wisely a. Describe biomagnification. Biomagnification is also known as biological magnification. Chemicals such as DDT can accumulate in the tissues of organisms as it moves up the trophic levels. The harmless low levels of chemicals at the bottom of an energy pyramid will actually accumulate to harmful levels at the higher trophic levels. b. Identify the major forms of air pollution. The major forms of air pollution are acid rain, smog, greenhouse gases, and particulates. XII. Biodiversity a. Describe the importance of biodiversity. Biodiversity is tantamount to genetic diversity. With genetic diversity, there is more stability in a population protecting it from possible extinction from disease. b. Identify an invasive species in PA. i. Plant – bamboo, purple loosestrife, tree of heaven, marijuana, common reed (phragmites) ii. Animal – hogs, zebra mussels, emerald ash borer, asian longhorned beetle, red-eared slider XIII. Meeting Ecological Challenges a. Define ecological footprint. The ecological footprint is also known as the carbon footprint. This is the impact individuals and populations have on the use of resources as well as the production of waste.