Ecology – Test Review

Be able to identify relationships among organisms within an ecosystem
o Predation
competition
parasitism
commensalism
mutualism

Be able to identify each biosphere level and how each level of a biosphere relate to one another
o Individual  Population  Community  Ecosystem  Biosphere

Understand the following terms:
o Ecosystem
o
Producer
o
Consumer


Decomposer, Scavenger, Ominvore, Carnivore, Herbivore
o
Biomass
o
Trophic Level
Be able to answer the following questions:
o What happens to the amount of available energy at each trophic level? Explain the 10% Energy
Law.
o
How does an ecosystem maintain balance?
o What is the purpose of decomposers? Why are decomposers necessary for an ecosystem?
o Compare variations and adaptations of organisms in different ecosystems. (Ex: What physical
characteristics would you see in organisms living in a swamp that help conserve/release energy
efficiently?)
o
The grass necessary to support an ecosystem needs 10 acres to grow. House developers cleared
half of the land and now the area is reduced to 5 acres. Explain what the result of this
development will be on each of the trophic levels in this ecosystem.
o

Inferring Figure 3–4 shows a food web arranged into
trophic levels. How many energy-transferring steps
away from the sun is the deer? How do you know?

Interpreting Graphics In Figure 3–4, how many firstlevel consumers are there for each producer?

Comparing and Contrasting In Figure 3–4, compare the
amount of energy available to the wolf if it eats only
first-level consumers with the amount of energy
available to the wolf if it eats only second-level
consumers.
Figure 3–4
Figure 3–5

Interpreting Graphics How many kilocalories (kcal) can the top carnivore in Figure 3–5, Diagram I, store? Explain
using the 10% Energy Law.

Which trophic level has the most energy available? Which has the least?

Which trophic level has the most organisms? Which has the least?

Why can’t a food chain support more than 5 trophic levels?