Biology Ecology Review Study Guide
Understand how energy flows and matter cycles through an ecosystem. 1. Distinguish between a food chain and a food web. 2. Explain the difference between producers, consumers and decomposers. 3. Describe how an energy pyramid represents the energy loss from one level to the next. 4. Identify the major processes and importance of the carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles. 5. Describe how both biotic and abiotic factors control the balance of an ecosystem. Understand how humans have affected ecosystems through changes in energy dynamics and/or matter cycles. 1. Identify and explain ways that humans have altered the carbon, water and nitrogen cycles. 2. Explain ways that humans have affected food webs and predator/prey cycles. Understand how both primary and secondary succession occurs. 1. Differentiate between primary and secondary succession. 2. Describe the main steps of succession. 3. Identify and explain ways humans have affected succession. Understand the similarities and differences in the following species relationships: competition, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, predation, and invasive species. 1. Identify who benefits, who is harmed or who is unaffected for each of the relationships listed. 2. Explain the role of carrying capacity and predators in an ecosystem. 3. Explain how invasive species disrupt an ecosystem. Topic Energy Transfer (Food chains, Food webs, Pyramids) Textbook References Ch. 18 p. 366‐370 Cycles/Patterns Biogeochemical Cycles (water, nitrogen, carbon) Succession Ch. 18 p. 371‐374 Ch. 20 p. 408‐410 Species Relationships Ch. 20 p. 399‐404 Human Impact Ch. 22 Activities/Labs Pond Water Food Web PowerPoint Notes KEY Vocabulary Food chain Food web Entropy (energy loss of 90%) Producer Primary Consumer (Herbivore) Secondary Consumer (Carnivore, Omnivore) Tertiary Consumer Decomposers Detritus Nitrogen Passport Lab Ammonification Carbon Cycle Ping Pong Nitrogen fixation Ball Activity Nitrates Water Cycle Boogie Denitrification Biogeochemical Cycle Decomposition Review Packet Photosynthesis Pond Succession Lab Respiration Succession Evaporation demonstration Condensation (standing on desks) Precipitation Runoff Percolation Water table Frozen Critters Habitat Cane Toads Niche Limiting Factors Adaptation Competition Predator/Prey Parasitism Mutualism Commensalism Invasive Species All Eutrophication (algal blooms) Global warming/ burning fossil fuels Hunting Deforestation Acid rain Habitat destruction Invasive species