Name:__________________________
PreAP Ecology Review
Part 1 (LT1-3) Levels of Org/Populations
1.
List each level of organization from smallest to largest.
Molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
2.
3.
4.
What is the definition of a population?
All the members of the same species living in the same area at the same time.
What is population density?
# individuals in an area
What are the three types of population distribution? Draw a diagram for what each type would look like.
Uniform
Random
Clumped
5.
6.
What is an abiotic factor? A biotic one?
Abiotic: nonliving (water)
biotic: living (other animals)
What are some biotic and abiotic factors that might determine population distribution?
Biotic: overpopulation, location of food
7.
abiotic: weather change, temperature
What are two factors that limit population growth? List an example of each.
Density independent: weather
Density dependent: disease, competition
Part 2 (LT 2-7) Population Growth
8.
For a certain species of rodent r=1 and K= 1,500. G= rN (K-N)/K
a. Determine the growth rate in a population with 900 individuals.
G = 1 (900) (1,500-900)= 360
1,500
b. Determine the growth rate in the same rodents if the population has 1000 individuals
G = 1 (1000) (1,500-1000) = 333.3
1,500
c. Explain why the growth rate is not the same.
Rate slows as you approach carrying capacity
9. Name a density-dependent factor that may limit population growth.
Disease, lack of food, crowding, competition, etc.
10. In the graph below, draw a new line (colored or dotted…or someway to distinguish it from the original line) if you
were to increase the carrying capacity to about 2,500 sheep by increasing (and sustaining) the amount of food
available.
11. Draw a graph for exponential growth, label the lag phase and exponential growth phase. What is another name
for this shape of a line?
J-shaped curve
12. What happens to population growth during the exponential phase?
Population doubles in increasingly shorter time periods of time/grows very, very fast
13. What is a carrying capacity?
The maximum number of individuals a habitat can support (when births=deaths because of # of deaths due to
diseases, predation, starvation, etc increase)
14. Draw a graph for Logistic Growth, label Lag, and exponential phase, as well as the carrying capacity. What is
another name for the shape of this line?
S-shaped curve
15. What is an age structure and what is it used for?
Proportion of individuals at each age. Used to predict population’s future.
16. Take a look at the age structure for a population of geese. Predict the growth of this population in the space
next to the figure.
Part 3 (LT 8-12) Communities
17. What is the definition of a community?
All the populations that live in an area.
18. What is the name for the regular progressing of plant life in a new ecosystem?
Succession!!!!  Having fun yet?
19. What is primary succession?
Area where life has never existed/builds up soil
20. What is a pioneer species?
1st into the area, typically lichens and mosses
21. What is a climax community?
“ending population”, stable unless it is disturbed
22. What is Secondary succession?
Area where life has existed, but has been removed (forest fire, flooding, etc)
23. What is included in an organisms niche?
Feed relationships, habitat, reproduction, behavior, etc
24. Two organisms can occupy the same habitat, but not the same niche. Predict the outcome if two similar species
compete over a niche. Explain why you predict that?
One will outcompete/win, the other will die or move on. Why? Because while a habitat can be partitioned a niche
is much, much more and cannot be shared. Niche includes behaviors, food source, etc.
25. The above diagram shows the recovery of an ecosystem after a fire. What type of succession is this?
Secondary!!
26. In the above succession, suggest a possible reason for the shrubs disappearing once you hit the fourth stage.
Outcompeted for resources like sunlight, water & nutrients.
27. What is the name of the principle that says two organisms can’t share the same resource?
Competitive Exclusion principle 1 lives, 1 dies
28. What is symbiosis?
A close (co-evolved) relationship between two individuals of different species.
29. What is mutualism?
A relationship in which both partners get a benefit from each other.
30. What is parasitism?
A relationship in which one organism benefits while harming its host.
31. What is commensalism
A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neutral—neither hurt or helped.
32. What is predation?
A relationship where one organism hunts, kills and eats another organism.
33. In Hoot Owl Woods, what happened to the owls when the mice died?
They starved & died (declined)
34. What is resource partitioning?
Organisms “carve up” a habitat so they can “share” resources.
35. What is Batesian mimicry?
Looks like a dangerous/poisonous organism but isn’t
Part 4 (1, 13-18) Ecosystems
36. What is the definition of an ecosystem?
All of the biotic and abiotic factors in an area.
37. What happens to an ecosystem when its carrying capacity is exceeded?
Organisms begin to die.
38. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food web includes all the food chains in an ecosystem, a food chain is a single line of energy consumption
39. What kind of organism makes its own food?
Primary producers
40. What level of consumer eats a primary producer?
Primary consumer
41. What level of consumer eats an herbivore?
Secondary consumer
42. In the food web diagram show here, what percentage of energy is the rabbit getting from eating the grass?
10% from the
grass.
43. In the food
web shown
here, how
much of the
energy
absorbed
from the sun
by the grass
is the hawk
getting
(after eating
a sparrow)?
1% of the original energy the grass absorbed & converted.
44. What are the producers in an aquatic ecosystem?
Phytoplankton
45. What are all the feeding relationships within a community called?
Food web
46. What is primary productivity?
Plants that produce organic material via photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
47. What is a Keystone species?
Hold the most important role in an ecosystem….has a LARGE impact on the ecosystem if removed
48. What is biological magnification?
Increasingly concentrated accumulation of toxins in the tissues of organisms in a trophic chain.
49. What group of organisms always occupy the lowest trophic level in an ecosystem?
Primary producers (plants)
50. How much energy is passed from one trophic level to the next?
10%
51. Where does the rest of the energy go?
Body processes….like living….and lost as body heat
52. What are the three types of trophic pyramids?
Energy, biomass & numbers
53. Why are there typically only 5 trophic levels?
Because only 10% of energy is available to be passed on….run out of energy very quickly!!
Part 5 (17) Cycles in Ecosystems & Biomes
54. Which cycle involves the exchange of CO2 and O2 during photosynthesis?
Carbon/Oxygen cycle
55. Which cycle does transpiration belong to?
Water cycle
56. Which cycles are “localized”? Why?
Nitrogen & Phosphorus. Because they occur mostly in the soil…which limits how far they can be
recycled/influenced.
57. What organism can be found in the local cycles that help recycle nutrients from plants & animals?
Decomposers & detrivores (fungus & bacteria)
58. What process removes CO2 from the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis!!!
59. What is biological magnification?
Increase in the concentration of a substance in the tissues of an organism as it is passed up a food chain
Part 6 (19) Biomes & the Biosphere
60. What makes the polar, temperate & tropical regions different?
Angle of sunlight (polar, low angle less absorption; temperate, angle changes seasons; tropical, constant angle)
61. What is the difference between Intraspecific and Interspecific competition?
Intra competition b/w members of SAME species
Inter -> competition b/w members of DIFFERENT species
62. Which biome has the least seasonal variation?
Tropics! Let’s go!!
63. What are the characteristics of a grassland?
Characterized by grasses and short shrubs.
64. What are the characteristics of a desert?
Low rainfall, succulents, animals are active during the cool of the night
65. What are the characteristics of a deciduous forest?
Trees lose leaves during winter.
66. What is the largest land biome on earth?
The Taiga!!
67. Why do we have seasons?
Because of the earth’s tilt…changes the angle of the sunlight & thus energy absorption through the atmosphere
68. What is the difference between weather & climate?
Weather is daily, climate is average
69. What causes global climate patterns?
Solar input heats air/water hot air/water rises, pushing air/water away air/water falls as it cools & sinks,
pushing air/water out of the way and completing our cycle. Wind & water current create the weather climate!
Part 7 (20-22) Human Impact
70. Why is rapid deforestation a problem?
Decrease production of Oxygen, Increase amounts of CO2 (which will trap sunlight energy) and reduced
biodiversity (higher chance of everything dying at first signs of trouble)
71. How have humans contributed to global warming?
Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, CFCs deplete ozone
72. Why is erosion a problem?
Leaves soil exposed, loss of fertile topsoil, desertification!!!
Part 8 (23-24) Animal Behavior
73. What is innate behavior?
Requires no learning & performed the same by all members of a species
74. What is a learned behavior?
A change of behavior resulting from experience, taught to others
75. What is imprinting?
Irreversible learning that occurs early in development
76. Is there a genetic basis to behavior?
YES! Innate behavior (things like building nests) is genetically encoded… “instinct”
77. What are r strategists? Give an example
Reproduce quickly, little parental care, high mortality rate of young. Fish, rabbits, turtles, etc
78. What are k-strategists? Give an example
Reproduce slowly, a lot of maternal care, low mortality rate of young. Ex: humans, elephants, whales
79. What is agnostic behavior?
Aggressive threats, rituals or fighting…rarely to the death.
80. Social behaviors require communication….list the different types of communication we covered in notes
Sounds, scents, visual displays, physical touches
81. What is an altruistic act?
An animal that puts it self at risk for the benefit of the population.
82. Male moose (bulls) can become very aggressive when their harem (lots of female mooses…moosi?) is threatened by
other bulls, but is not aggressive to females. Bulls will fight off other bulls which exposes them to injuries which
could possibly lead to death…not to mention the drain on resources and time as he grows antlers and defends his
area. What is the advantage of this behavior?
Male gain sole mating rights to the female
83. Red-tailed hawks will build giant nests high up in the tree, while a distant cousin of theirs will build small nests
lower in the tree canopy. A hybrid of these two cousin hawks was able to reproduce, and it builds a medium sized
nest in the middle of the canopy….what does this demonstrate about this behavior?
That is it likely genetic! (if you saw a mix of traits like this, it would be incomplete dominance, btw)