Study Guide for Ecology Test – Thursday December 19 – 100 points
Ecological structure - understanding how ecosystems are organized:

Best documents to study - Living things in the environment – guided reading notes

Key Vocabulary:
-populations
-ecology
-abiotic factors
-community
-habitat
-biotic factors
-ecosystem
Key Concepts:
o Be able to identify the key differences between populations and community.
o Understand the gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen between plants and animals.

Energy flow in an ecosystem – food chains and food webs:

Best documents to study - definitions of energy roles

Key Vocabulary:
-consumer
-decomposer

-scavenger
-carnivore
-omnivore
-herbivore
-producer
Key Concepts:
o Know the difference between a food chain and a food web.
o Know how the amount of energy changes as you move up the food pyramid.
Studying Populations:

Best documents to study – Studying Populations – guided reading notes , Fred and George scenarios ,
Population density examples .

Key Vocabulary:
-limiting Factors
-carrying capacity
-birth rate

-death rate
-immigration
-emigration
Key Concepts:
o Be able to identify the methods (direct observation, indirect observation, sampling, mark &
recapture) used to study a population based on scenarios – Fred and George can help you.
o Understand how birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration affect the size of a
population.
o Be able to calculate population density – review example problems done in class.
o Be able to read and interpret a population graph.
 Be able to explain typical patterns that ecological populations follow (i.e rapid growth
followed by leveling off ect.)
 Be able to explain how resources and limiting factors affect population growth.
 Be able to identify the carrying capacity of a population on a graph.
Ecological Succession:

Best documents to study – Ecological Succession – reading and questions, Stages of ecological succession
– ponds.

Key Vocabulary:
-primary succession
-secondary succession
-pioneer species

-climax community
-opportunistic species
Key Concepts:
o Be able to compare and contrast primary and secondary succession.
o Understand the purpose of pioneer species and the roles they play in primary and secondary
succession (i.e. lichens, mosses, opportunistic species)
o Be able to recognize the stages of pond succession – pictures.
Interactions in Ecosystems – Natural Selection:

Best documents to study – Interactions among living things – guided reading notes.

Key Vocabulary:
-adaptations
-niche
-symbiosis
-Natural Selection

-competition
-predation
-predator
-prey
-mutualism
-commensalism
-parasitism
-parasite
-host
Key Concepts:
o Understand the differences between all the symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism,
and parasitism).
o Be able to apply the definitions of the symbiotic relationships to different situations. Review
scenarios done in class.
o Understand predator/prey relationships (i.e. know who the predator is and who the prey is).
o Be able to identify adaptations that benefit predator and/or prey.