Ecology Review
Matching Set 1
_____ 1. Abiotic
_____ 2. Biotic
_____ 3. Community
_____ 4. Ecosystem
_____ 5. Energy
_____ 6. First trophic level
_____ 7. Food chain
_____ 8. Herbivore
_____ 9. Law of conservation of energy
_____ 10. Photosynthetic
_____ 11. Primary productivity
_____ 12. Producers
_____ 13. Second trophic level
_____ 14. Third trophic level
A.
The ants, trees, grass, soil, rain, worms, fungi,
bacteria, sun, etc.
B.
all of the different species
C.
the ants, trees, grass, worms, fungi, bacteria
D.
the soil, rocks, rain, sun, etc
E.
ability to cause change
F.
the total amount of energy in the universe is constant
G.
plants, algae, and some bacteria
H.
organism that can use light to make carbohydrates
I.
rate at which energy is used in an ecosystem
J.
step in a food chain or food pyramid
K.
algae  zooplankton  filter feeding fish  predatory
fish  pelican  alligator
L.
producers
M.
herbivores
N.
carnivores and omnivores
O.
organism that eats only plants
P.
organism that eats both plants and animals
Q.
organism that eats only animals
R.
amount of energy lost from one trophic level to the
_____ 15. Trophic level
Matching Set 2
_____ 16. 90%
_____ 17. Biogeochemical cycle
next, mostly as heat
S.
organic waste and dead bodies; important in releasing
_____ 18. Biomass
_____ 19. Carnivore
_____ 20. Commensalism
_____ 21. Detrivore
_____ 22. Energy pyramid
nutrients to the environment
T.
organism that eats the dead and dying
U.
close ecological relationship involving two organisms
V.
type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and
the other is harmed, such as a tapeworm in a pig
W.
_____ 23. Epiphyte
_____ 24. Mutualism
_____ 27. Parasitism
_____ 28. Saprophyte
_____ 29. Symbiosis
_____ 30. Water cycle
type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and
the other is not affected
X.
type of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit
Y.
organism that is growing on another but is not
_____ 25. Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
_____ 26. Omnivore
special class of consumer that obtains energy from
stealing nutrients
Z.
used to show the relationship between the trophic
levels in terms of energy available in each level
AA. the dry weight of the ecosystem
BB. describes the flow of essential elements from the
environment to living things and back to the
environment
CC. evaporation/transpiration  condensation 
precipitation  evaporation/transpiration
DD. important for proteins and nucleic acids
3. Compare and contrast Detrivores and Decomposers. Include function, purpose and examples.
4. Answer the following questions using the ecological pyramid.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Label the producers, Primary consumers, secondary consumers, Tertiary consumers on one side of the pyramid.
Label the autotrophs, herbivores, first level carnivores, second level carnivores on the other side of the pyramid.
Draw an arrow to indicate which direction energy flows.
How much energy is passed on to the next level?
e.
Why is there so many more producers than tertiary consumers?
5. Using the organisms above, draw a food chain. Include arrows to show energy flow.
6. Describe the three types of symbiotic relationships:
a. Mutualism
b. Commensalism
c. Parasitism
7. Read the following situations, choose the type of symbiotic relationship that best describes it.
a. Paramecium bursaria is a unicellular protist that lives in fresh water. It engulfs unicellular green algae into
vacuoles within its cell. The paramecium benefits from the food synthesized by the alga. (It can be grown without the
algae, but it must be given extra food.) The algae benefits from the carbon dioxide produced by its host as well as the
host’s ability to transport it to a spot where there is ample light to perform photosynthesis.
b. The remora is a bony fish that has a modified dorsal fin. The fin has been modified into a sucker with which it
forms a temporary attachment to the shark. When the shark feeds, the remora picks up scraps of food. The shark
makes no attempt to prey on the remora.
c. Several species of the flower Rafflesia grow in jungles of Southeast Asia. Rafflesia arnoldii is the largest; its
blossom attains a diameter of 1 meter and can weigh up to 11 kg. It produces no leaves, stems or roots but lives on the
Tetrastigma vine. Only the flower or bud can be seen; the rest of the plant exists only as filaments within the host vine.
The Rafflesia drains nourishment and gains physical support from the host vine.
d. Barnacle are sedentary, highly modified crustaceans resembling conical pyramids. Barnacles live by using long,
feathering appendages to sweep the surrounding water for small, free-floating organisms. The critical resource for
barnacles is a place to stay. Barnacles attach to rocks, ships, shells, whales, and just about anywhere else they can gain
a foothold. The barnacle gains a place to live and the organism is not harmed by the presence of the barnacles.
e. Fungus called Cladonia cristatella lives with a green algae called Trebouxia erici. (This particular algae may live
with other fungi as well). The algae provide food for the fungus. The algal cells eventually are killed by the fungus,
but are continuously replaced by new algal cells.
8. Biochemical cycles- Describe each of the following chemical cycles. Include the important processes that takes place in each one.
Water Cycle-
Nitrogen Cycle-
Carbon cycle-
9. How do humans impact each chemical cycle?
Water cycle-
Nitrogen cycle-
Carbon cycle-
10. In which cycle do bacteria play a role? Explain how the cycle would be affected if the bacteria disappeared?
11. Define primary productivity:
What factor controls this in an ecosystem?
12. What is a limiting nutrient?
13. What is one way humans have devised a system of dealing with limiting nutrients?
14. Does this ever cause problems in the ecosystem? How?
15. What type of succession occurs after lava from a volcanic eruption covers an area? Defend your answer with at least two facts on
succession.
16. Describe two major causes of ecological succession.
17. What role do pioneer species play in ecological succession?
18. Name and describe the two types of population growth. Draw a graph to represent both
a.
b.
19. What are the 5 limiting factors to population growth?
20. Differentiate between density-dependent factors and density-independent factors.