Ecology Study Guide
Section 1 – Intro to Ecology
1)Define ecology.
2)Know the levels of organization in living things from the organism level to the biosphere.
3)What are some methods ecologists use to study living things?
4)What are biotic and abiotic factors? Be able to list some examples.
5)What is the difference between a habitat and a niche? Be able to cite examples of habitats and niches of actual living organisms.
6)What are some characteristics of a biome? What is a microclimate?
7)Describe the structure and be able to interpret a climate diagram.
8)Know a few characteristics of each biome found on Earth.
Section 2 – Population Dynamics
1)What are three important characteristics of a population?
2)What factors affect a population’s size?
3)What is the difference between immigration and emigration?
4)When does exponential growth take place? What does the graph look like?
5)When does logistic growth occur? What does the graph look like? What is carrying capacity?
6)Describe the predator-prey relationship in terms of population growth and size.
7)What are limiting factors?
8)What is a density dependent limiting factor? What are some examples?
9)What is a density independent limiting factor? What are some examples?
Section 3 – Shaping an ecosystem, Relationships, Energy Flow
1)What biotic and abiotic factors shape an ecosystem?
2)Discuss relationships between organisms such as competition and predation. What is the competitive exclusion principle?
3)What are the three forms of symbiosis we discussed in class? Provide an example for each.
4)What is ecological succession? Discuss the characteristics of both primary and secondary succession.
5)What are producers? How do they make their own food? Be able to describe the processes of photosynthesis and chemosynthesis.
6)What is the major source of energy on Earth?
7)What are consumers? Be able to describe the characteristics and examples of carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers.
8)Describe the flow of energy through a food chain.
9)How is a food web different from a food chain?
10) Be able to identify different trophic levels in a chain or web.
11) What percentage of energy moves from one trophic level to the next?
12) Know the three types of ecological pyramids?
Section 4 – Nutrient Cycles
1)How is the flow of energy in an ecosystem different from the movement of chemical nutrients?
2)Describe the essential steps and vocabulary of the water cycle.
3)Why is carbon essential for life? Be able to cite a few sources of carbon in the atmosphere, waterways, ground, and through living things.
4)Why is nitrogen essential for life? Be able to cite a few sources of nitrogen in the atmosphere, waterways, ground, and through living things.
5)What is nitrogen fixation? Denitrification?
6)Why is phosphorus essential to life? How does it cycle through living things? Where does it not cycle?
7)What is primary productivity?
8)What is a limiting nutrient?
9)What results in algal bloom?