Learn Chapter 13!
Use the following questions to generate a summary note of the key points of chapter 13 of your textbook. You do not need to answer them stepwise, but rather use them to guide the content of your summary note. Using your note, you should easily be able to answer each one.
Introduction to Ecology
1) Define Ecology and comment on why this definition lacks specificity. To help you with this concept ask yourself, what ISN’T ecology?
2) Distinguish between a population, a community and an ecosystem.
3) Define “ecological succession” and comment on its importance.
4) Copy the following diagram into your note under the subheading “Succession”:
5) Distinguish between biomes, habitats and ranges
6) It would seem as though it is always advantageous to be a generalist rather than a specialist in terms of ecological niche. What might be an advantage of being a specialist?
Energy in Ecosystems
7) Draw a simple labeled food chain to illustrate trophic levels. Label all levels and name the types of organisms you might find at each level (eg. herbivores, omnivores or carnivores)
8) (a) What are primary producers so important for all life on earth?
(b) What percentage of the total solar radiation is captured in photosynthesis.
(c) What happens the rest of the energy?
(d) Approximately how much energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next higher level?
(e) What happens to the rest of the energy?
9) (a) Which ecosystems have the two highest and two lowest AVERAGE net primary productivity?
(b) Which ecosystems represent the two highest percentages of the Earth’s net primary production?
(c) Account for the major discrepancy between (a) and (b)
Nutrient Cycling
10) Unlike energy, the supply of nutrients is not replenished by an outside source like the sun. How are nutrients made available to living things?
11) (a) Briefly explain the biological significance of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
(b) Briefly comment on animals’ reliance on plants for each of these nutrients.
(c) What important conclusions were drawn from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest?
In your notes try the following questions:
pg. 439 #4-7, 15 pg. 461 #1-3