Welcome to AP Biology 2011!
Introduction to AP Biology:
Instructor: Angie Shroufe
Email address: shroufea@nclack.k12.or.us
Textbook: Biology-Campbell, Reece and Mitchell
In the spirit of examining our own place in the world, I am hoping that during the summer
you will enjoy the time to enrich, relax, and recharge the mind and body. It is my hope that
you will complete the summer assignment with the intention of stimulating interest and
covering some important content connected to the start of our school year together.
The major concepts of AP Biology are as follows:
1. Molecules and Cells: Chemistry of Life, Cells, and Cellular Energetics
2. Heredity and Evolution: Heredity, Molecular Genetics, Evolutionary Biology
3. Organisms and Populations: Diversity of Life, Structure and Function of Plants and
Animals, and Ecology
Summer Assignments for AP Biology:
Please read this entire packet carefully so you know the points and due dates for each
assignment. If you have any questions about the assignments, feel free to email me. The
summer assignments will count as part of your first nine weeks grade.
Assignment #1: Email me at shroufea@nclack.k12.or.us using your school email
address and respond to the following:
A. Brief introduction of yourself including your science/academic background and
something unique about you.
B. Why you are taking AP Biology?
C. Why you think you will be successful in AP Biology and on the AP Exam?
 This assignment must be completed August 25th and is worth 15 points.
Assignment #2: Go Biology! Summer Poster
Using the list below, design a poster that photo documents biological experiences you had
during the summer. Obviously you are not required to do all the following but choose at
least three from the list (or your own list). Take pictures and make a poster of your
experiences. This will be used during the first day of class to introduce who you are to the
class. Bring your poster to class on a on the first day. Please have fun with this
assignment…show some of your fun personality!
 Instead of driving, ride a bike or take a walk. Where did you go?
 Get wet in a downpour. What other factors are measured when talking about
weather?
 Follow a stream to its headwaters or mouth. Do you know what these words
mean?
 Speaking of water, where does yours come from?
 Watch an ant colony. What behaviors did you observe?
 Study the waves at the beach. Why do waves exist?
 Go into the wetlands and smell decomposition at work.
 Watch the Discovery Channel. What did you watch?
 Read National Geographic. What did you read?
 Figure out why dew forms on the grass at night, but not every night.
 Lie on your back and observe the stars and look for constellations.
 Climb Mt. Talbert (or another mountain) and look at all the different flora. Do you know what
flora means?
 Look up what “metamorphic” means. What about igneous? Go find these rocks!
 Play around with Google earth. What places did you see?
 Grow your favorite vegetable. Did you also eat it?
 Look at a big tree and determine where all the mass came from.
 Go fishing. What types of fish did you catch?
 Use sunscreen and explain why you should.
 Count the number of bugs you see in 1 square meter in a wooded area…turn over stones and
logs to see more.
 Go camping. Where did you go?
 Keep a journal of the different birds you see. How many different birds did you count?
 Visit a farmer’s market. Why is important to buy local?
 Buying organic food? Not buying organic food? Does it matter?
 At the pool? Figure how much water it takes to fill up the pool.
 Locate your local watershed on a map.
 Try to do a “waste free” day in your house.
 Do a media fast. How long did you last?
 Go snorkeling and look at the diversity of life under the water!
 Go for a walk and count the number of different animals and plants you see.
 Go to the zoo and see the variety of animals. How are the animals different/similar?
 Read an article relating to biology. What was it about? What did you find amazing about the
article?
 This assignment must be completed by the first day of class and is worth 20
points.
Assignment #3: Ecology Chapters Review
I am providing you a set of outlines, objectives and vocabulary for the chapters in the
textbook that will discuss the topic of ecology. You will not have the textbook checked out
to you until registration so you are welcome to buy a used copy of the book to use on line,
research the terms/objectives using the internet, or wait until registration to get your copy
of the textbook to finish this assignment.
A. Define and learn the bold-faced Key Terms for each chapter. I don’t simply mean to
define the terms…discuss how the terms relate to the topics of the chapter outline.
There will be some definitions in your summary, but it is important that you try and
describe how these terms relate to the topics.
B. Summarize the bold-faced Objectives for each chapter. Think of the objectives as
questions for you to research and answer.
C. Chapters copied in the summer packet:
 Chapter 50: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
 Chapter 52: Population Ecology
 Chapter 53: Community Ecology
 Chapter 54: Ecosystems
 This assignment must be completed by the second week of class as you will be
given a test over the information discussed in these chapters. The test will count
as a test score for your first nine week grade.
AP Biology Summer Assignment Chapters 50, 52-54
Outlines, Key Terms, and Objectives
CHAPTER 50: AN INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND THE BIOSPHERE
OUTLINE
I. The Scope of Ecology
A. Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
B. Ecological research ranges from the adaptations of organisms to the dynamics of ecosystems.
C. Ecology provides a scientific context for evaluating environmental issues.
II. Abiotic Factors of the Biosphere
A. Climate and other Abiotic factors are important determinants of the biosphere’s distribution of
organisms.
III. Aquatic and Terrestrial Biomes
A. Aquatic biomes occupy the largest part of the biosphere.
B. The geographical distribution of terrestrial biomes is based mainly on regional variations in climate.
IV. Concepts of Organismal Ecology
A. The costs and benefits of homeostasis affect an organism’s responses to environmental variation.
B. An organism’s short-term responses to environmental variations operate within a long-term
evolutionary framework.
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Explain why the field of ecology is a multidisciplinary science.
Distinguish among physiology, ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology.
Describe the relationship between ecology and evolution.
Explain the importance of temperature, water, light, soil, and wind to living organisms.
Explain the principle of allocation.
Describe how environmental changes may produce behavioral, physiological, morphological, or
adaptive response in organisms.
7. Explain the concept of environmental grain and under what situation(s) a single environment may be
both coarse-grained and fine-grained.
8. Describe the characteristics of the major biomes: tropical forest, savanna, desert, chaparral,
temperate grassland, temperate forest, taiga, and tundra.
9. Compare and contrast the types of freshwater communities.
10. Using a diagram, identify the various zones found in the marine environment.
KEY TERMS
ecology
abiotic components
organismal ecology
population
community
ecosystem
biosphere
climate
biome
tropics
turnover
photic zone
thermocline
benthic zone
benthos
detritus
littoral zone
limnetic zone
profundal zone
oligotrophic
eutrophic
benthos
mesotrophic
abyssal zone
estuary
permafrost
intertidal zone
regulator
neritic zone
conformer
oceanic zone
principle of allocation
pelagic zone
acclimation
benthic zone
coral reef
oceanic pelagic biome
CHAPTER 52 POPULATION ECOLOGY
OUTLINE
I. Characteristics of Populations
A. Two important characteristics of any population are density and the spacing of individuals
B. Demography is the study of factors that affect the growth and decline of populations.
II. Life History Traits
A. Life histories are highly diverse but exhibit patterns in their variability
B. Limited resources mandate trade-offs between investments in reproduction and in survival.
III. Population Growth Models
A. An experimental model population growth describes an idealized population in unlimited
environment.
B. A logistic model of population growth incorporates the concept of carrying capacity.
IV. Regulation of Population Growth
A. Density-dependent factors regulate population growth by varying with the density.
B. The occurrence and severity of density-independent factors probably limits the growth of most
populations.
C. A mix of density-dependent and density-independent factors probably limits the growth of most
populations.
D. Some populations have regular boom and bust cycles.
V. Human population Growth
A. The human population has been growing almost exponentially for centuries but will not be able to
do so indefinitely.
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Define the scope of population ecology.
Distinguish between density and dispersion.
Explain how ecologist measure density of a species.
Describe conditions which may result in clumped dispersion, random dispersion, and uniform
dispersion of populations.
5. Explain how age structure, generation time, and sex structure of individuals can affect
population growth.
6. Describe the characteristic of populations which exhibit Type I, Type II, and Type III survivorship
curves.
7. Explain how carrying capacity of the environment affects the intrinsic rate of increase of a
population.
8. Explain how density-dependent factors affect population growth.
9. Describe how weather and climate can function as density-independent factors in controlling
population growth.
10. Explain how density-dependent and density-independent factors may work together to control a
population’s growth.
11. List the three major characteristics of a life history and explain how each affect the:
a. Number of offspring produced by an individual
b. Population’s growth
12. Explain how predation can affect life history through natural selection.
13. Distinguish between r-selected populations and K-selected populations.
14. Explain how a “stressful” environment may alter the standard r-selection and K- selection characteristics.
KEY TERMS
Population
Density
Dispersion
Mark-recapture
Clumped
Grain
Uniform
birth rate
fecundity
death rate
method
sex ratio
life table
survivorship curve
zero population growth
intrinsic rate of increase
exponential population
generation time
carrying capacity
logistic population
opportunistic
populations
intraspecific
growth competition
density-dependent
CHAPTER 53 COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
OUTLINE
I. Early Hypotheses of Community Structure
A. The interactive and individualistic hypotheses pose alternative explanations of community structure:
science as a process
II. Interactions between Populations of Difference Species
A. Intraspecific interactions can be strong selection factors in evolution
B. Interspecific interactions may have positive, negative, or neutral effects on a population’s density: an
overview
C. Predation and parasitism are (+ / -) interactions: a closer look
D. Interspecific competitions are (- / -) interactions: a closer look
E. Commensalism and mutualism are (+ / 0) and (+ / +) interactions, respectively: a closer look
III. Interspecific Interactions and Community Structure
A. Predators can alter community structure by moderating competition among prey species
B. Mutualism and parasitism can have community-wide effects
C. Interspecific competition influences populations of many species and can affect community structure
D. A complex interplay of interspecific interactions and environmental variability characterizes community
structure
IV. Disturbance and Nonequilibrium
A. Nonequilibrium resulting from disturbance is a prominent feature of most communities
B. Humans are the most widespread agents of disturbance
C. Succession is a process of change that results from disturbance in communities
D. The nonequilibrial model views communities as mosaics of patches at different stages of succession
V. Community Ecology and Biogeography
A. Dispersal and survivability in ecological and evolutionary time account for the geographical ranges of
species
B. Species diversity on some islands tends to reach a dynamic equilibrium in ecological time
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the individualistic hypothesis of H.A. Gleason and the interactive hypothesis of F.E.
Clements with respect to communities.
2. Explain the relationship between species richness, relative abundance, and diversity
3. List four properties of a community, and explain the importance of each.
4. Explain how interspecific competition may affect community structure.
5. Describe the competitive exclusion principle, and explain how competitive exclusion may affect
community structure.
6. Distinguish between an organism’s fundamental niche and realized niche.
7. Explain how resource partitioning can affect species diversity.
8. Describe the defense mechanisms evolved by plants to reduce predation by herbivores.
9. Explain how cryptic coloration and aposematic coloration aid an animal in avoiding predators.
10. Distinguish between Batesian mimicry and Mullerian mimicry.
11. Describe how predators use mimicry to obtain prey.
12. Explain the role or predators in community structure.
13. Distinguish among parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism.
14. Explain why it is difficult to determine what factor is most important in structuring a community.
15. Distinguish between primary succession and secondary succession.
16. Explain how inhibition and facilitation may be involved in succession.
17. Describe how natural and human disturbances can affect community succession.
18. Explain how the intensity of disturbances can affect equilibrium and species diversity.
19. List the factors involved in limiting a species to a particular range.
20. Describe the mechanisms which contribute to the global clines in diversity.
21. Explain the factors which determine what species eventually inhabit islands.
KEY TERMS
species richness
relative abundance
species diversity
predation
Batesian mimcry
Mullerian mimicry
parasite
symbiosis
symbioant
commensalism
herbivory
coloration
principle
ecological niche
disturbance
mimicry
fundamental niche
predator
prey
realized niche
primary succession
recruitment
resource partitioning
host
character displacement
coevolution
dynamic equilibrium
parasitism
ectoparasites
keystone species
exotic species
biogeography hypothesis
stability
aposematic coloration
ecological succession
individualistic hypothesis
interactive hypothesis
secondary succession
interspecific interactions
endoparasites
interspecific competition
competitive exclusion
CHAPTER 54 ECOSYSTEMS
OUTLINE
I. Trophic Relationships in Ecosystems
A. Trophic relationships determine an ecosystem’s routes of energy flow and chemical cycling
B. Primary producers include plants, algae, and many species of bacteria
C. Many primary and higher-order consumers are opportunistic feeders
D. Decomposition interconnects all trophic levels
II. Energy Flow in Ecosystems
A. An ecosystem’s energy budget depends on primary productivity
B. As energy flows through an ecosystem, much is lost at each trophic level
III. Cycling of Chemical Elements in Ecosystems
A. Biological and geological processes move nutrients among organic and inorganic compartments
B. Decomposition rtes largely determine the rates of nutrient cycling
C. Field experiments reveal how vegetation regulates chemical cycling: Science as a process
IV. Human Impacts on Ecosystems
A. The human population is disrupting chemical cycles throughout the biosphere
B. Toxins can become concentrated in successive trophic levels of food webs
C. Human activities are causing fundamental changes in the composition of the atmosphere
D. The exploding human population is altering habitats and reducing biodiversity worldwide
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter and attending lecture, the student should be able to:
1. Explain the importance of autotrophic organisms with respect to energy flow and nutrient cycling in
ecosystems.
2. List and describe the importance of the four consumer levels found in an ecosystem.
3. Explain how gross primary productivity is allocated by the plants in an ecosystem.
4. List the factors that can limit productivity of an ecosystem.
5. Explain why productivity declines at each trophic level.
6. Distinguish between energy pyramids and biomass pyramids.
7. Describe the hydrologic (water) cycle.
8. Describe the carbon cycle, and explain why it is said to result from the reciprocal processes of
photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
9. Describe the nitrogen cycle, and explain the importance of nitrogen fixation to all living
organisms.
10. Explain how phosphorus is recycled locally in most ecosystems.
11. Explain why the soil in tropical forests contains lower levels of nutrients than soil in temperate
forests.
12. Describe how agricultural practices can interfere with nitrogen cycling.
13. Describe how deforestation can affect nutrient cycling within an ecosystem.
14. Describe how the carbon cycle differs in terrestrial and aquatic systems.
15. Explain how “cultural eutrophication” can alter freshwater ecosystems.
16. Explain why toxic compounds usually have the greatest effect on top-level carnivores.
17. Describe how increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide could affect the Earth.
18. Describe how human interference might alter the biosphere.
KEY TERMS
ecosystem
trophic structure
trophic level
primary producers
primary consumers
secondary consumers
tertiary consumers
biological magnification
net primary productivity
food chain
food web
production
consumption
decomposition
primary productivity
gross primary
detritivores
pyramid of numbers
biomass
standing crop biomass
limiting nutrient
secondary productivity
ecological efficiency
pyramid of productive
biomass pyramid
productivity
greenhouse effect
biogeochemical cycle
nitrogen fixation
nitrification
ammonification
long-term ecological
research (LTER)
turnover time
detritus
denitrification