Ecology Study Guide
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Define the following words: ecology, community, population, biosphere, biome, producer, consumer,
decomposer, predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, trophic level.
What is a habitat? Pick an animal and describe its habitat.
What is a niche? Pick an animal and describe its niche.
Define mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, and give an example of each.
Draw a line graph showing how predator numbers and prey numbers are related.
What is carrying capacity?
Define density-dependent factors. List the examples we discussed.
Define density-independent factors. List the examples we discussed.
What is a food web? Draw one using eight organisms. Include and label producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
What is a food chain? How is it different from a food web? Draw one with five organisms, and label the
producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Explain what trophic levels are, and describe how energy moves them.
A person eats a cheeseburger with everything, and a side of fries. Describe what trophic level they were
at for each part of the meal.
Describe the four factors that determine population growth.
Explain how to read an age-structure diagram.
What are abiotic factors? Give three examples of things that are abiotic.
What are biotic factors? Give three examples of things that are biotic.
OVER
Ecology Study Guide
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Define the following words: ecology, community, population, biosphere, biome, producer, consumer,
decomposer, predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, trophic level.
What is a habitat? Pick an animal and describe its habitat.
What is a niche? Pick an animal and describe its niche.
Define mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, and give an example of each.
Draw a line graph showing how predator numbers and prey numbers are related.
What is carrying capacity?
Define density-dependent factors. List the examples we discussed.
Define density-independent factors. List the examples we discussed.
What is a food web? Draw one using eight organisms. Include and label producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
What is a food chain? How is it different from a food web? Draw one with five organisms, and label the
producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Explain what trophic levels are, and describe how energy moves them.
A person eats a cheeseburger with everything, and a side of fries. Describe what trophic level they were
at for each part of the meal.
Describe the four factors that determine population growth.
Explain how to read an age-structure diagram.
What are abiotic factors? Give three examples of things that are abiotic.
What are biotic factors? Give three examples of things that are biotic.
OVER
17. For each of the six terrestrial (land) biomes we talked about in class, describe the typical abiotic and biotic
features. Be able to recognize them in a description.
18. For each of the eight aquatic biomes discussed in class (flowing water biomes, standing water biomes,
wetlands, estuaries, benthic zone, intertidal zone, pelagic zone, and coastal/coral zone) describe the typical
abiotic and biotic features. Be able to recognize them in a description.
19. What are invasive species, and how do they cause problems? Provide a local example.
20. Describe one major environmental problem from a terrestrial biome (other than those already listed on this
page).
21. Describe one major environmental problem from an aquatic biome (other than those already listed on this
page).
22. Diagram and explain the water cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and include
the terms transpiration, evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and run-off in your explanation.
23. Diagram and explain the carbon cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and include
respiration, photosynthesis, decomposition, deposition, combustion (fossil fuels), and erosion in your
explanation.
24. Diagram and explain the nitrogen cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and
include the terms fixation and denitrification in your explanation.
17. For each of the six terrestrial (land) biomes we talked about in class, describe the typical abiotic and biotic
features. Be able to recognize them in a description.
18. For each of the eight aquatic biomes discussed in class (flowing water biomes, standing water biomes,
wetlands, estuaries, benthic zone, intertidal zone, pelagic zone, and coastal/coral zone) describe the typical
abiotic and biotic features. Be able to recognize them in a description.
19. What are invasive species, and how do they cause problems? Provide a local example.
20. Describe one major environmental problem from a terrestrial biome (other than those already listed on this
page).
21. Describe one major environmental problem from an aquatic biome (other than those already listed on this
page).
22. Diagram and explain the water cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and include
the terms transpiration, evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and run-off in your explanation.
23. Diagram and explain the carbon cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and include
respiration, photosynthesis, decomposition, deposition, combustion (fossil fuels), and erosion in your
explanation.
24. Diagram and explain the nitrogen cycle. Explain how humans affect this cycle. Be sure to define and
include the terms fixation and denitrification in your explanation.