TEST STUDY GUIDE
Chapter 1 – Interactions of Life
Name ___________________________
Answer ALL the questions on separate piece of loose leaf paper using short answers
Section 1.1
Define the following vocabulary, then answer the questions.
1. biosphere
2. ecosystem
3. ecology
4. population
5. community
6. habitat
7. Give 2 examples of LIVING and NONLIVING parts of an ecosystem
8. Organize the words POPULATION, ORGANISM, ECOSYSTEM and COMMUNITY from most simple to
most complex.
9. Give examples for each of the words in #8 above using a PRAIRIE ecosystem.
10. Give and example of an organisms habitat.
Section 1.2
Define the following vocabulary, then answer the questions.
1. limiting factor
2. carrying capacity
The graph to the right shows how 3 populations change
over time. A deadly parasite infects ONE of the species
in this ecosystem and the entire population dies. Answer
questions 3 – 7 related to the graph.
3. How is the change in the grass population RELATED to the change in the rabbit population?
4. Which species was attacked by the parasite? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER
5. What is one OBVIOUS limiting factor for the wolf population?
6. This ecosystem has reached its carrying capacity for WHICH population?
7. Using you answer from question 6, how big can the population of that species get in this ecosystem? In
other words, what is the ecosystems carrying capacity for that species?
8. Explain what a “sample count” is used for.
9. Give an example of “competition” in an ecosystem.
10. Thinking about the Human Population graph shown right,
when populations grow quickly we say they have what kind of
growth?
Section 1.3
Define the following vocabulary, then answer the questions.
1. producer
2. consumer
3. symbiosis
4. mutualism
6. parasitism
7. niche
5. commensalism
8. Give 2 examples each of a PRODUCER and CONSUMER then explain WHY they are a producer or
consumer.
9. Give 2 examples each of a HERBIVORE, CARNIVORE OMNIVORE and DECOMPOSER then explain
WHY they are what they are.
10. Give one example of a food chain that includes one producer, two consumers, one TOP consumer and a
decomposer then explain the ROLE of each in the food chain.
11. Give one example of a MUTUALISM, COMMENSALISM and PARASITISM then explain WHY the
examples are correct.
12. Give one example of a “niche”
13. Give two examples of a “predator and prey” relationship between two species then tell which is the
predator and which is the prey.