Ecology Study Guide 1 Name: ________________________________________
Directions: Using the facts, please complete the problems below.
1. Based on this graph of precipitation, which two biomes could it possibly be?
2. In addition to precipitation, what else determines the biome’s climate?
3. Choose an organism in your backyard and explain its niche.
The Mexican spotted owl is threatened by the loss of old growth forests (its preferred habitat). As the region becomes hotter and drier, there is a loss of vegetation, which is a problem for the Mexican spotted owl because they live in nests, which are made in trees. Their prey populations are decreasing with the loss of rain and the higher temperatures. Extended droughts also increase the likelihood of wildfires. They are also affected by other owl species who compete for resources.
4. If the Mexican spotted owl was to go extinct, what would happen to their prey population and why?
5. If the Mexican spotted owl was to go extinct, what would happen to their predator population and why?
6. A Venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula) is a plant that performs photosynthesis but also eats flies (meat). Are Venus fly traps consumers/heterotrophs or producers? HINT: There is no right or wrong answer. You are being graded based on how well you defend your answer.
7. Directions: For this next section, please fill in the blank with one of your facts.
My name is Josh and I live in a castle. I don’t eat meat but I love vegetables, fruits, and beans. Consumers that are like me are called ________________________________________. My name is Isabella. I am in 7th grade. I enjoy ice cream, scrambled eggs, pork chops with apple sauce, chicken fettuccine alfredo, steak and potatoes, garden salads, and cucumbers smothered in sour cream. Consumers that are like me are called _________________________. My name is Kaitlyn and I’m an ecologist. I am studying the relationship between the sunflower and the honey bee. Sunflowers make their own food so they are ________________.
My name is Matthew. I have a collection of fungi in my bedroom. Fungi are important because they are ______________, which break down dead organisms returning nutrients to the soil. My name is Jacob and although I share my name with a very famous character, I am not a werewolf. Werewolves only eat meat so they are ____________________________________. Let me introduce myself. My name is Maddie and my favorite color is green. I love to study animals. In my opinion, ___________________ are the laziest type of animal because they don’t kill their own meals but wait for other animals to do it for them. They love leftovers!
I am Joey and I love to eat ice cream. It’s my favorite form of energy. In order for me to obtain energy I have to eat so I am a _______________________________________________. My name is Noah and I like to learn new words. I learned that the word consumer can be replaced with the fancier term of ________________ because the two words mean the same. I am Emma and I live in Prescott, Arizona in the woods. When I was five, I saw a buzzard eating the leftovers of a deer carcass on the side of the road. The deer is ______________.
8. Read the Far Side cartoon below and then explain what happened to the unicorn and why the carnivores are going to be confined to the C deck on the ship.
9. Using the below food web, identify three food chains.
10. If you were an ecologist, what is the organism you would study and list five abiotic or biotic things it is connected to?