HONORS ECOLOGY II - REVIEW SHEET

Level of Understanding

Objectives

/ Need Help / Need Review / Under-stood
1. __ Identify, contrast, and give examples of abiotic and biotic factors
2. __ Identify and give examples of organisms in each of the trophic levels
3. __ Explain how the laws of thermodynamics influence trophic structure patterns
4. __ Make predictions about the consequences of eliminating species from particular trophic levels
5. __ Identify the three patterns of population distribution and explain what factors lead to the formation of each
6. __ Suggest means of estimating population size, and make calculations of population estimates from data collected
7. __ Graph and contrast type I and type III species survivorship
8. __ Contrast the two types of population growth
9. __ Calculate and graph population growth from initial data
10. __ Contrast density-independent and density-dependent limiting factors
11. __ Define and give examples of the five common species interactions (predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalisms)
12. __ Contrast the life history characteristics of r-selected and K-selected species
13. __ Define and give an example of ecological succession, including pioneer and climax community species
14. __ Determine the species richness and relative abundance of species in the field
15. __ Calculate Shannon-Weaver Biodiversity from collected data, discuss the species-area relationship, and explain human effects biodiversity
16. __ Define alien or exotic species and give an example and identify common characteristics of such species
17. __ Diagram and describe the greenhouse effect, and its effects on the biosphere
18. __ Identify current human population growth patterns, contrast age structures of developing and developed countries, and explain their ecological impact
19. __ Diagram and describe the biological and abiotic components of and processes involved in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water
20. __ Design an experiment that tests the effect of an ecological variable
21. __ Identify independent and dependent variables, and experimental and control groups in ecological research
22. __ Read and comprehend technical ecological literature
23. __ Use computer software to simulate ecological situations and make appropriate conclusions

Vocabulary

__ abiotic / __ biotic / __ trophic / __ autotroph
__ producer / __ photosynthesis / __ sunlight energy / __ sugar energy
__ heterotroph / __ primary consumer / __ herbivore / __ secondary consumer
__ carnivore / __ tertiary consumer / __ higher level consumer / __ decomposer
__ cellular respiration / __ ATP energy / __ law of thermodynamic / __ 1st law (conservation)
__ 2nd law (entropy) / __ trophic cascade / __ population / __ population density
__ random distribution / __ uniform distribution / __ clumped distribution / __ population size
__ N (total pop. variable) / __ n (current pop. variable) / __ r (net reproductive rate) / __ birth rate
__ death rate / __ immigration rate / __ emigration rate / __ population estimate
__ mark-recapture / __ precensus / __ mark / __ M (marked variable)
__ harmless mark / __ permanent mark / __ census / __ recapture
__ R (recapture variable) / __ N = (n x M) / R / __ type I survivorship / __ type III survivorship
__population growth / __ exponential growth / __ J-shaped curve / __ N = (r x N) + N
__ logistic growth / __ K (carrying capacity) / __ S-shaped curve / __ N = [(rxN)((K–N)/K)] +N
__ limiting factors / __ density-dependent / __ density-independent / __ predation (+ -)
__ predator / __ prey / __ predator-prey cycle / __ competition (- -)
__ intraspecific competition / __ interspecific competition / __ parasitism (+ -) / __ parasite
__ host / __ mutualism (+ +) / __ commensalisms (+ 0) / __ symbiosis
__ competitive exclusion / __ resource partitioning / __ niche / __ r-selected species
__ K-selected species / __ ecological succession / __ primary succession / __ secondary succession
__ pioneer species / __ climax community / __ keystone species / __ disturbance
__ species richness / __ S (richness variable) / __ relative abundance / __ ni / N
__ biodiversity / __ H (biodiversity variable) / __ H = -S[(ni/N) ln (ni/N)] / __ biodiversity maximum
__ H max = ln S / __ biodiversity threats / __ habitat destruction / __ alien species
__ overexploitation / __ pollution / __ hot spots / __ greenhouse effect
__ greenhouse gases / __ global warming / __ carbon dioxide / __fossil fuels
__ ecological footprint / __ climate change / __ age structure diagrams / __ top heavy age structure
__ bottom heavy age str. / __ post-modern societies / __ industrial societies / __ developing societies
__ carbon cycle / __ nitrogen cycle / __ water cycle / __ phosphorus cycle
__ independent variable / __ dependent variable / __ control group / __ experimental group

Equations

1.  N est = [(n)(M)]/R

2.  r = (birth rate + immigration rate) – (death rate + emigration rate)

3.  N exponential = [(r)(N)] + N

4.  N logistic = [(r)(N)[(K – N)/K]] + N

5.  H = -S[(ni/N) ln (ni/N)]

  1. H max = ln S