Name:____________________________________
Date:_____________ Period:_____
Ecology Unit 1 – Overview
Schedule - August 13, 2008 through September 19, 2008; Exam Tuesday 9/16/08
Grant Key Standards
1A: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. As a basis for understanding
this concept: Students will compare the relationship between biodiversity and habitat. Key Elements:
1. Define biodiversity, habitat, organisms, and species.
2. Distinguish impacts that change habitats.
3. Examine causes that effect biodiversity.
1B: Stability in an ecosystem is in balance between competing effects. As a basis for understanding
this concept: Students will analyze changes within an ecosystem resulting from changes in climate,
human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population size. (6b) Key Elements:
1. Define ecosystem, climate, nonnative species, population, succession
2. Analyze how pollution affects the ecosystem
3. How human activity affects environment (pollution, biological magnification, deforestation).
4. Analyze how an introduction of a nonnative species affects an ecosystem.
5. Analyze how population size changes affect an ecosystem
6. Analyze the effects of climate on the ecosystem
7. How Biological Magnification affects organisms in the ecosystem
8. How succession occurs.
1C: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will analyze
examples of population dynamics. (6c) Key Elements:
1. Define the following terms: fluctuation, population, population size, ecosystem, immigration,
emigration, mutualism, commensalism, symbiosis, and parasitism.
2. Analyze how birth rate affects population size.
3. Analyze how immigration rate affects population size.
4. Analyze how emigration rate affects population size.
5. Analyze how death rate affects population size.
6. Describe symbiotic relationships.
1D: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will interpret a
diagram of the various abiotic cycles and explain how they affect the environment (6d) Key Elements:
1. Define an abiotic/biogeochemical cycle.
2. List the abiotic/biogeochemical cycles that exist.
3. Describe and diagram the carbon cycle, water cycle, and nitrogen cycle.
4. Interpret diagrams of each of the three biogeochemical cycles: water, carbon, and nitrogen.
5. Explain how the three biogeochemical cycles affect the environment.
6. Explain how carbon and oxygen cycle through photosynthesis and respiration.
1E: Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Students will describe how
energy is dispersed within food webs and energy pyramids. (6f) Key Elements:
1. Define the following terms: producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, omnivore,
carnivore, energy, food web, food chain, energy pyramid, autotroph, heterotroph
2. Compare and contrast a food chain and a food web, describing how energy is dispersed
within food webs.
3. Explain how energy flows between the levels of an energy pyramid.
Textbook – Chapters 2 (pg 30 – 57) 3 (pg 58-89). 4 (pg 90 -113), and 5 (pg 115 – 143)
Class Website – www.marric.us/teaching;
Resources - http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/glossary/index.html
Ecology Unit Summary Ecology is the study of life’s interactions with organisms and the environment.
An ecosystem includes all the biotic (living organism) and abiotic (non-living factors like rainfall,
temperature). The first topics that are covered are food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids.
Because nearly all of the energy that fuels life on Earth comes from the sun, we will consider the main
process of energy conversion photosynthesis. Just considering photosynthesis, solar energy is
converted into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Glucose is a monomer (single unit) which when
bonded with other glucose monomers form polymers of glucose such as starch, cellulose, glycogen (short
term energy in animal cells). The next energy converting process that is used by cells involves oxygen
and glucose. This glucose breaking down process is called cellular respiration and results in the
production of ATP which is energy that is used immediately in cells. Both plant and animal cells perform
respiration, but only plant cells perform photosynthesis. So, plant cells are called producers because
they can produce chemical energy from solar energy, putting them on the bottom of the food chain,
first trophic level. Plants are also called autotrophs because they produce their own food/glucose
Organism that consume plants are called primary consumers and are also called herbivores (eat plants) –
second trophic level. Any organism that must eat another organism is called a heterotroph (other eater).
Organisms that eat primary consumers are called secondary consumers and can either be omnivores (eat
both animals and plants) or carnivores (eat only animals). Once moving beyond primary consumers one
has begun to consider more complex feeding situations – hence food webs (multiple chains
interconnected). The thing about energy pyramids are they are broad at the bottom and narrow at the
top, because each time energy is transferred (food eat) energy is lost mostly as heat.
Energy is not cycled because at each change energy is lost. This is not the case for elements necessary
for life. These elements including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water, and phosphorous undergo
biogeochemical cycling (Bio – involves organisms, geo-earth process). The two main processes involved in
carbon and oxygen cycling is photosynthesis (CO2 + H20 + sunlight yields glucose C6H12O6 and oxygen O2)
and cellular respiration (glucose + H2O + O2 yields ATP and CO2). Water cycling involves: evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorous cycles are more
complicated and involve multi-step chemical changes.
When relationships between organisms are essential for the life of each organism, it is said that the
relationship is symbiotic. A symbiote in Marvel Comics’ fictional universe is a living alien organism that
bonds with another living organism in order to survive. The three main kinds of symbiotic relationships
are parasitic (one lives the other harmed), commensalism (one benefits, the other no effect), and
mutualism (both benefits). Numbers of populations (same species, same area, and same time) vary based
on birth rate, death rate, and fluxes into a population (immigration) and out of a population (emigration).
Predator – prey relationship also can have major impacts on population structure. Predators cannot live
without prey and prey overpopulate without predators.
Ecosystems are affected by climate, nonnative species invasions, natural succession, and pollution. One
type of pollution problem involves chemicals that are accumulated in organisms. This is called
biomagnification which becomes more acute – toxic at the top of the food chain/ energy pyramid
because predators eat prey that is contaminated. Invasive species that are non-native often can
displace native species by out-competing the native species. Invasive species usually changes the
biodiversity of a natural ecosystem by decreasing biodiversity. Biodiversity is the number of different
kinds of organisms that live together in an ecosystem. Generally, the greater number of different kinds
of organisms in an ecosystem yields more stable ecosystems. Here stability means the ability of the
ecosystem to continue despite minor changes in the environment. For example, a meadow with lots of
different kinds of grasses will remain relatively unchanged if a pathogen that kills a type of grasses
enters the system. This is in contrast to a large scale farming operation with one type of wheat (a
grass, e.g., wheatgrass the health drink) which can be wiped out completely if a pathogen enters the
field. Biodiversity yields stability.
Ecology Unit Vocabulary
1. Abiotic___________________________________________________________
2. Autotroph_________________________________________________________
3. Biodegradable______________________________________________________
4. Biodiversity________________________________________________________
5. Biogeochemical cycle(s) (abiotic cycle)____________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. Biomagnification (Biological magnification)_________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Biomass__________________________________________________________
8. Biome(s)__________________________________________________________
9. Biosphere_________________________________________________________
10. Biotic____________________________________________________________
11. Carnivore_________________________________________________________
12. Carrying capacity___________________________________________________
13. Climate___________________________________________________________
14. Climax community___________________________________________________
15. Commensalism______________________________________________________
16. Community________________________________________________________
17. Consumer_________________________________________________________
18. Decomposer_______________________________________________________
19. Desert___________________________________________________________
20. Ecological succession_________________________________________________
21. Ecology___________________________________________________________
22. Ecosystem_________________________________________________________
23. Emigration_________________________________________________________
24. Energy___________________________________________________________
25. Energy pyramid_____________________________________________________
26. Environment_______________________________________________________
27. Estuary___________________________________________________________
28. Exotic species______________________________________________________
29. Exponential growth__________________________________________________
30. Food chain_________________________________________________________
31. Food web__________________________________________________________
32. Global Warming(Greenhouse Effect)______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
33. Grassland_________________________________________________________
34. Habitat___________________________________________________________
35. Herbivore_________________________________________________________
36. Heterotroph_______________________________________________________
37. Immigration_______________________________________________________
38. Limiting factors____________________________________________________
39. Mutualism_________________________________________________________
40. Niche____________________________________________________________
41. Non-native species__________________________________________________
42. Omnivore_________________________________________________________
43. Organism_________________________________________________________
44. Parasitism________________________________________________________
45. Photosynthesis_____________________________________________________
46. Population_________________________________________________________
47. Predation_________________________________________________________
48. Producer__________________________________________________________
49. Respiration________________________________________________________
50. Species___________________________________________________________
51. Steady state_______________________________________________________
52. Symbiosis_________________________________________________________
53. Taiga (Coniferous)___________________________________________________
54. Temperate Deciduous forest___________________________________________
55. Transpiration______________________________________________________
56. Trophic level_______________________________________________________
57. Tropical Rain Forest_________________________________________________
58. Tundra___________________________________________________________
59. Algae (Alga)________________________________________________________
60. Atmosphere_______________________________________________________
61. Concentration*_____________________________________________________
62. Condensation_______________________________________________________
63. Erosion___________________________________________________________
64. Evaporation________________________________________________________
65. Fluctuation*_______________________________________________________
66. Lichens___________________________________________________________
67. Metabolize________________________________________________________
68. Microbe__________________________________________________________
69. Plankton__________________________________________________________
70. Precipitation______________________________________________________
71. Restoration_______________________________________________________
72. Savanna__________________________________________________________
Tentative Schedule
August 13 – 15: Anticipatory Questions; Chapter 1 – The Study of Life SciNotebooks.
August 18 – 22: Ecology Quiz #1 (Tues 8/19); Chapter 2.1-2.2; Lecture Notes; Science Notebook pg.
12-17; Unit Study Guide and Vocabulary; Energy Flow in an Energy Pyramid (Dataworks); MiniLab
Construct a Meadow Ecosystem Food Web. (Diversity Ch 17.3?)
August 25 – 29: Ecology Quiz #2 (Tues 8/26); Ch. 2.3 Cycling of Matter; Lecture Notes; Science
Notebook pg. 18-24; Water Cycle Model Diagram; Carbon Cycle Model Diagram; Nitrogen Cycle
Model Diagram; Fish in Hot Water Project.
September 4 – 7: Ecology Quiz #3 (Tues 9/4); Ch. 2.3 Cycling of Matter; Lecture Notes; Science
Notebook pg. 18-24; Water Cycle Model Diagram; Carbon Cycle Model Diagram; Nitrogen Cycle
Model Diagram; Ch.3 Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems;
September 10 – 14: Ecology Quiz #4 (Tues 9/11); Ch.3 Communities, Biomes, and Ecosystems; Lecture
Notes; Science Notebook pg. 21-24; Ch.3.2-3.3 Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes Lecture Overview;
HW: Science Notebook pg. 25 – 30 EC; Review Biomes; Ch. 4 Population Ecology Lecture Overview;
Science Notebook pg. 32-37; Ch. 5 Biodiversity Overview Lecture; Science Notebook pg. 39-48;
Complete Study Guide and Vocabulary. Review Crossword Puzzles
September 17 – 19: Ecology Exam (Tues 9/16); Review; Portfolio Preparation; Grizzly Bear Case Study.
News Article.
Portfolio Contents
All assignments including quizzes, homework (diagrams), class work (notes and study guide) and labs
will be organized in a folder that is able to bind your papers. Having the assignments all together
makes it easier to study for your quizzes and exams. Since we have quizzes every week, taking the
time to organize your assignments will be very helpful to study for the unit exam. In the front of the
portfolio after the cover sheet have a page that is your Table of Contents as shown in the example
below. After the Table of Contents page include a 1 page minimum Portfolio Summary which is a short
descriptive essay explaining how you approached this unit (did you know anything about ecology), how
you studied, what you’d do differently, what you learned and whether or not you met the standards
for the unit. Portfolio Table of Contents
I
Portfolio Summary (1 page essay)
II
Portfolio Self-Evaluation (form signed by you and a parent/guardian)
III
Learning Skills Reflection (form completed by you)
IV
Diagrams (unit assignments)
V
Homework (unit assignments)
VI
Weekly Agendas
VII
Quizzes
VII
Study Guides (unit assignments)
Ecology Unit Study Guide
Exam Week of 9/17/07
Name:_________________________
Date:______________ Period:_____
1. List several examples of a habitat.
2. A living plant, animal or microbe is what?
3. Define biodiversity.
___________
4. Define ecosystem.
5. With regards to the carbon cycle, what would be the results of the burning and clearing of a
tropical rain forest.
______
______________________________________________________________________
6. What is the ideal pH for freshwater biomes?
7. What activities would have a negative impact on a habitat?
______________________________________________________________________
8. How is the number of organisms in both lakes and ocean ecosystems determined.
_________________________________________________________________
9. Explain how a top predator may increase the diversity of species lower on the food chain.
The next two items refer to the economically valuable forest of the Pacific Northwest.
Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock are the principal trees of the region. Characteristics of each
are as follows.
Douglas Fir
Cedar and Hemlock
Seedlings die in shade
Seedlings grow in the shade
Seedlings grow on ashes
Seedlings do not grow on ashes
Seeds have wings
Seeds are not winged
10. Young cedar trees require what?
11. Which trees would have a survival advantage following a fire?
12. Define nonnative species.
13. Define biological magnification.
14. What is the most common explanation for population growth by a non-native species?
Study the graph below and answer the questions that follow.
15. What does the graph show about the earth’s atmosphere?
16. Most scientists are concerned that global warming is a result of
______________________________________________________________
17. Which environmental factors are looked at when monitoring human pollution?
______________________________________________________________________
18. The maintenance of a self-sustaining ecosystem requires what?
___
19. Why does each successive feeding level in a pyramid of energy have less biomass? ____
_______________________________________________________________
20. What are examples of plant life at each level of succession starting from new rock?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
21. According to the graph which one is a carnivore?
22. According to the food web, which of these describes the relationship between the snake and
the chipmunk?
23. Which combination of organisms shows a single food chain in this web?
24. The transition from a tropical rain forest to a grassland is marked by fewer and fewer trees.
This is most likely caused by a decrease in
?
25. Sea otters eat sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp, a type of brown algae. What might be the
short-term effect on the ecosystem if great numbers of sea otters were removed from this
environment?
26. What is the ultimate source of energy for the majority of life on Earth?
__
27. Many more species of plants and animals live in a tropical forest than live in a desert. This
difference is most likely due to the fact that, compared to a tropical forest, a desert
______________________________________________________________
28. What part of the ecosystem is not recycled through the Earth’s ecosystems?
______
29. What action by humans has had the
most positive ecological impact on
the environment?
30. According to the graph, the human
population has
__________________________
___________________________
31. List several examples of a mutalistic relationship.
32. Natural populations numbers increase and decrease around the carrying capacity when they
reach
33. A group of similar-looking organisms that breed with each other and produce fertile offspring
make up a
34. Rabbits introduced into Australia over 100 years ago have become a serious pest to farmers.
Rabbit populations increased so much that they displaced many native species of plant eaters.
What is the most logical explanation for their increased numbers?
_________________________________________________________
35. What does A stand for in the chart above?
36. Give an example of B in the chart above?
37. What does C stand for in the chart above?
38. If a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of the environment, the
_______________________________________________________________
39. Nutrients move through the biosphere in nutrient or
cycles.
40. As water cycles through the ecosystem, which process returns it to the atmosphere?
41. Local and federal legislation have placed limits on the amount of nitrogen containing fertilizers
to be tolerated in field run-off into a lake. The reason for this legislation is that run-off of
the fertilizers would most likely produce
42. What does each of the letters on the chart represent?
43. Probably the most important factors affecting the distribution of biomes are
____________________________________________________________________
44. Complete burning of plant material returns carbon primarily to what?
45. The action of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle most directly
aids in the_____________________________________
46. What is the role of NO3 in the cycle?
47. In the material cycle above, which processes are represented by letters A and B?
__________________________________________________________
48. Which level of the pyramid represents the largest percentage of available energy?
49. According to the chart, which organisms are the top carnivores in the river ecosystem?
________________________________________
50. According to the chart, if the trout were overfished, which population of organisms would
most likely increase as a direct result?
____________________________________________________________________
51. A small, cold creek flows through a dense forest. The trees that line the banks of the creek
provide shade for most of the day. Algae grow well only in the few areas of the creek that
receive direct sunlight for several hours each day. Most of the food energy enters the creek
ecosystem in the form of dead leaves that fall from the trees.
A fire swept through the forest, burning all the leaves but leaving the trees standing. This
greatly increased the amount of direct sunlight reaching the creek, but did not produce more
than the usual amount of erosion. As a result of the fire, which of these most likely increased
in the creek?