CHAPTER 50
An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
The Scope of Ecology
1. Define ecology.
2. Distinguish between abiotic and biotic components of the environment.
3. Distinguish among organismal ecology, population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and landscape ecology.
Interactions Between Organisms and the Environment Affect the Distribution of Species
4. Describe the problems caused by introduced species and illustrate with a specific example.
5. Explain how habitat selection may limit distribution of a species within its range of suitable habitats.
6. Describe, with examples, how biotic and abiotic factors may affect the distribution of organisms.
Aquatic and Terrestrial Biomes
7. Describe the characteristics of the major aquatic biomes: lakes, wetlands, streams, rivers, estuaries, intertidal biomes,
oceanic pelagic biomes, coral reefs, and marine benthic biomes.
8. Describe the characteristics of the major terrestrial biomes: tropical forest, desert, savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland,
coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf forest, and tundra.
CHAPTER 51
Behavioral Ecology
Introduction to Behavior and Behavioral Ecology
1. Define behavior.
2. Define fixed action patterns and give an example.
3. Define imprinting.
Many Behaviors Have a Genetic Component
5. Explain how genes and environment contribute to behavior. Explain what is unique about innate behavior.
6. Distinguish between kinesis and taxis.
7. Distinguish between signal and pheromone.
Learning
8. Explain how habituation may influence behavior.
9. Describe how associative learning might help a predator to avoid toxic prey.
10. Distinguish between classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
Behavioral Traits Can Evolve by Natural Selection
11. Explain optimal foraging theory.
12. Explain how predation risk may affect the foraging behavior of a prey species.
13. Define and distinguish among promiscuous, monogamous, and polygamous mating relationships. Define and distinguish
between polygyny and polyandry.
14. Define inclusive fitness and reciprocal altruism. Discuss conditions that would favor the evolution of altruistic behavior.
15. Define the concept of kin selection.
Social Learning and Sociobiology
16. Define social learning and culture.
17. Explain why mate choice copying by a female may increase her fitness.
CHAPTER 52
Population Ecology
Characteristics of Populations
1. Explain the term population ecology.
2. Explain how ecologists may estimate the density of a species.
3. Describe conditions that may result in clumped dispersion, uniform dispersion, and random dispersion of individuals in a
population.
4. Distinguish between a life table and a reproductive table.
5. Describe the characteristics of populations that exhibit Type I, Type II, and Type III survivorship curves.
Population Growth
6. Compare the exponential model of population growth with the logistic model.
7. Explain how an environment’s carrying capacity affects the per capita rate of increase of a population.
8. Explain the meaning of each of the following terms in the logistic model of population growth:
a. rmax
b. K 2 N
c. (K 2 N)/K
9. Distinguish between r-selected populations (exponential growth J shaped curve) and K-selected (logistic growth S shaped
curve) populations.
Population-Limiting Factors
10. Explain the density-dependent factors that affect population growth.
11. Explain, with examples, how biotic and abiotic factors may work together to control a population’s growth.
Human Population Growth
12. Describe the history of human population growth.
13. Define the demographic transition.
14. Describe the problems associated with estimating Earth’s carrying capacity for the human species.
CHAPTER 53
Community Ecology
Interspecific Interactions and Community Structure
1. List the categories of interspecific interactions and explain how each interaction may affect the population densities of the two
species involved (Table 53.1)
2. State the competitive exclusion principle.
3. Define an ecological niche
4. Explain how interspecific competition may lead to resource partitioning.
5. Define and compare predation, herbivory, and parasitism.
6. Give specific examples of adaptations of predators and prey.
7. Explain how cryptic coloration and warning coloration may aid an animal in avoiding predators.
8. Distinguish between Batesian mimicry and MŸllerian mimicry.
9. Describe how predators may use mimicry to obtain prey.
10. Distinguish among parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism.
11. Distinguish between a food chain and a food web.
12. Explain how dominant and keystone species exert strong control on community structure. Describe an example of each.
Disturbance and Community Structure
13. Define stability, disturbance, and climax community.
14. Provide examples of how disturbance may increase or decrease species diversity.
15. Explain the differences and circumstances associated with primary and secondary succession.
16. Describe how pioneer species that arrive early in succession may facilitate, inhibit, or tolerate later arrivals.
CHAPTER 54
Ecosystems
Ecosystems, Energy, and Matter
1. Describe the fundamental relationship between autotrophs and heterotrophs in an ecosystem.
2. Explain how decomposition connects all trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Secondary Production in Ecosystems
3. Explain why energy is said to flow rather than cycle within ecosystems.
4. Distinguish among pyramids of net production, pyramids of biomass, and pyramids of numbers.
The Cycling of Chemical Elements in Ecosystems
5. Explain the water cycle.
6. Name the major reservoirs of carbon and explain the cycle of carbon
7. Describe the nitrogen cycle and explain the importance of nitrogen fixation to all living organisms. Name three other key
bacterial processes in the nitrogen cycle.
8. Describe the phosphorus cycle and explain how phosphorus is recycled locally in most ecosystems.
9. Explain how decomposition affects the rate of nutrient cycling in ecosystems.
Human Impact on Ecosystems and the Biosphere
10. Describe how agricultural practices can interfere with nitrogen cycling.
11. Explain how “cultural eutrophication” can alter freshwater ecosystems.
12. Describe the causes and consequences of acid precipitation.
13. Describe how increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide could affect Earth.
14. Describe the causes and consequences of ozone depletion.