Please print off the following study guide for Class.
Read over it, highlight items/content you are unfamiliar with/need more background on.
Ecology = Study Guide
Vocabulary – be able to define these terms in your own words, & make connections between
terms that are grouped together below
abiotic factor vs. biotic factor
organism, population, community, ecosystem vs. biome, biosphere
habitat vs. niche
producer (autotroph) vs. consumer (heterotroph) vs. decomposer (special heterotroph)
trophic level (and primary vs. secondary vs. tertiary heterotroph)
symbiotic relationship vs predator prey relationship (can you give examples?)
Name 3 different kinds of symbiotic relationships and an example of each
Carbon cycle – carbon dioxide (CO2), respiration, photosynthesis, combustion, fossil fuel,
global warming and greenhouse effect, acid rain, CFCs
Nitrogen cycle –
Phosphorus cycle Be able to put these concepts in order from smallest to largest: biosphere, community,
ecosystem, population, individual organism, cell, organ, tissue, organ system
Energy flows ‘away’
Key idea: energy flows through and away from ecosystems. In other words energy it is NOT
recycled and used again. It becomes (disorganized) unusable by living things and it must leave
the organism/ecosystem, and ‘new’ concentrated energy must be constantly provided
This ‘new’ energy comes from what source? ____________
What type of organism can convert this energy into food energy? ____________
*Some ecosystems do not receive energy from this source (like the ocean floor). How the heck
can they get energy then?' … (kiss your brain if you can name 2 ways)
How do consumers obtain energy? How do decomposers?
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
We can also depict these relationships in an energy pyramid diagram. The pyramid narrows at
the top because this energy is lost (in the form of ___________ ) as we move through trophic
levels to the top of the pyramid.
--What is the ‘Rule of Ten’?
--Ecologists estimate that as much as ______% of energy is lost as one moves to a new trophic
level Can you draw a diagram that displays this?
--Based on the diagram, it is clear that the most numerous group in any ecosystem must be the
(circle one): producers consumers decomposers
--Name the organisms that can be found at every trophic level. ___________________
MATTER / Nutrients Cycle
Key idea: Unlike energy above, matter IS recycled constantly. It either exists as food, or makes
up living organisms themselves, or exists in the atmosphere
Water Cycle--review the basic parts of the water cycle from middle school earth science
--How does water move from clouds down to ground?
How does it return to the clouds?
What are some ‘water words’ that describe how water gets around?
Can you name 3 reasons water is important ecologically?
--As we will see later, all living organisms are made of cells that sit in a watery environment –
so we are made of water
Carbon Cycle - --focus your attention on the carbon cycle – carbon makes up everything you
eat (sugar, fat, protein, etc), and your body (and all living organisms) are built from carbon
--Carbon in the air around us exists in what form? _____________________
--What type of organisms can take this type of carbon out of the air? ____________
What is this conversion process called? _______________________
--Name three ways that carbon can return to the air again (completing our cycle)
1)
2)
3)
-Nitrogen cycle … You should know that nitrogen makes up our proteins and our DNA
--do NOT worry about the specific terms… just name the group of organisms that are able to
convert N2 in the air into a form that plants can take up from the soil __________
--what type/s of organisms return N2 to the air? ______________
Phosphorus Cycle –
Why the heck is phosphorus important to living things?
Name a major difference between the Carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle.
Be able to make a Venn diagram of any of the 3 cycles (C, N, P) showing similarities &
differences.
Understand how Photosynthesis and Respiration complement each other.
When do plants photosynthesize? Day Night Both Neither
When do plants respire? Day Night Both Neither
When do animals photosynthesize? Day Night Both Neither
When do animals respire? Day Night Both Neither
Write the formula for photosynthesis (it does not have to be a balanced equation) or describe /
write out the steps.
Write the formula for respiration (it does not have to be a balanced equation) or describe / write
out the steps