Ecology (Critter Game) Exam Review

We have had quite a few scenarios in this game. Each scenario was content in the ecology unit and now we can see each one and use it to prepare for our exam.

Vocabulary:

  1. Abiotic
  2. Autotroph
  3. Biogeochemical cycle
  4. Biomass
  5. Biome
  6. Biosphere
  7. Biotic factor
  8. Carbon fixation
  9. Carnivore
  10. Carrying capacity
  11. Chemosynthesis
  12. Commensalism
  13. Community
  14. Consumer
  15. Decomposer
  16. Demography
  17. Density-dependent limiting factor
  18. Density-independent limiting factor
  19. Detritivore
  20. Ecology
  21. Ecosystems
  22. Exponential Growth
  23. Feedback loop
  24. Food Chain
  25. Food Web
  26. Herbivore
  27. Heterotroph
  28. Immigration, emigration
  29. Limiting nutrient
  30. Logistical growth
  31. Mutualism
  32. Niche
  33. Omnivore
  34. Parasitism
  35. Photosynthesis
  36. Population
  37. Producer
  38. Predation
  39. Primary Consumer
  40. Primary ecology succession
  41. Secondary Consumer
  42. Secondary ecology succession
  43. Species
  44. Sustainability
  45. Symbiosis
  46. Tertiary Consumer
  47. Trophic level

Concepts and questions:

  • What are biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem?
  • What is the differences between: species, population, community, and biome?
  • How do bees, or lack thereof, affect all types of biomes?
  • Define: producer, consumer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore, detritivore
  • What are the effects of an overpopulation of species?

  • Producer
  • Herbivore
  • Omnivore
  • Carnivore

  • What does a sustainable environment mean? Carrying capacity?
  • How easy/difficult is it to maintain a sustainable ecosystem? Why?
  • What are the differences in energy required to sustain producers and consumers?
  • How much energy, in the form of food, does it take for each level of species to survive?

  • Producer
  • Primary Consumer
  • Secondary Consumer
  • Tertiary Consumer
  • Detritivore

  • What is a trophic level? What level do you find humans? What level do you find grass?
  • Ecological Pyramids (what happens to the energy levels when moving up the pyramids)
  • What is an energy pyramid? Draw an Example
  • Biomass pyramid
  • Pyramid of numbers
  • How does a carbon atom flow through a system starting with carbon dioxide, moving through the levels of organisms, all the way to detritivores?
  • Photosynthesis: detailed explanation of the entire process
  • Cellular Respiration:detailed explanation of the entire process
  • How does cellular respiration help build muscles?
  • What is aerobic and anaerobic respiration
  • How does energy flow through a system starting with the Sun, moving through the levels of organisms, all the way to detritivores?
  • Photosynthesis: detailed explanation of the entire process
  • Cellular Respiration: detailed explanation of the entire process
  • Review and DRAW the carbon cycle, energy and carbon through a system starting with the atmosphere, producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, detritivore, atmosphere.
  • How does the nitrogen and the phosphorus cycle work through the system?
  • Detailed explanations
  • How can climate changes affect all these systems above?
  • What is the differences between climate and weather?
  • What were some of the unintended consequences of introducing a new species into an ecosystem?
  • Plants, animals, or humans
  • How are all the different ecosystems connected? How do the effects of one ecosystem effect other ecosystems?
  • What are 5 major interactions between species (relationships), define and explain them.
  • What is the difference between competition and symbiosis?
  • What are the types of symbiosis?
  • How can natural disasters affect all biomes?

  • Flood
  • Mass wasting (landslides)
  • Volcanic Events

  • Feeding Relationships
  • Energy flows in ____ direction or inorganic compounds to ______(producers) and then to heterotrophs. The relationships between producers and consumers connect organisms into feeding networks based on who eats whom?
  • Explain why a limiting nutrient is so important to ecosystems
  • What are some unintended consequences when brining in a new species: plant, animal, or human?
  • What are tropic levels?
  • What is a feedback loop?
  • What factors lead to rapid population growth in an ecosystem?
  • What are examples of density-independent factors and HOW do they limit population growth?
  • What are examples of density-dependent factors and HOW do they limit population growth?
  • What is the difference between immigration and emigration? Why is it important to know these?
  • Be able to IDENTIFY, APPLY, AND DRAW conclusions from all the information covered in the games.