Ecology Study Guide
1. Which of the following would be an example of a population?
Fish in a pond, different species of Bothrops, all the Lirodendron taxiflora in
Georgia.
all the Lirodendron taxiflora in Georgia
2. A self-containing ecosystem requires
cycling of materials between organisms and their environment.
3. 1st consumers can also be called
herbivores
4. 2nd and 3rd consumers can be called
carnivores
5. If it is a 1st and 3rd consumer it is called a
omnivore
Ecology Study Guide
6. Which organisms are required for the recycling of nitrogen?
bacteria
7. __________________ and ____________ _________________ to prevent soil
erosion are ways humans have a positive impact on the environment.
Reforestation
cover cropping
8. The largest biome on Earth is the
marine biome.
9. During ecological succession the 1st organisms to establish themselves on barren
land are known as
pioneer organisms
10. The successional event may end after 300 years with the
climax community
Ecology Study Guide
11. Define temperate deciduous forest:
Go through four seasons. The leaves fall off in the winter, and grow back in the
spring. Often make up climax communities with trees, such as hickory and oak.
12. In a food pyramid energy and matter, biomass, is lost at each level. Why?
Carnivore biomass is less than producer biomass as a result of energy being lost
as heat as it flows from producers to carnivores.
13. What does an ecosystem contain?
Interactions between biotic and abiotic factors.
14. Explain competition.
It refers to the behavior of two species attempting to use the same living space,
food, or water source.
15. E. coli living in our intestines is an example of
mutualism
Ecology Study Guide
16. Orchids living on a tree are an example of
commensalism
17. Heart worms living in a dog is an example of
parasitism
18. What biomes do you go through as you drive up a tall mountain? Why?
Temperate deciduous forest, taiga, tundra because temperature and
precipitation decrease.
19. Which organisms would contain the least energy in a food pyramid?
The tertiary or 3rd consumer.
20. Explain the difference between a predator/prey relationship and parasitism.
In parasitism the parasite doesn’t normally kill it’s host, while the predator
always kills it’s prey for food.
Ecology Study Guide
21. Define niche:
The role or job of an organism in it’s habitat.
22. Define population:
A group of the same species.
23. Define competition:
A battle or fight between organisms trying to use the same limited resource.
24. Explain the importance of decomposers to the ecosystem.
Decomposers return nutrients to the ecosystem.
25. The greatest amount of available energy is found in what types of organisms?
Producers
26. The most important factor in determining the type of terrestrial plants in an
area is the
climate
Ecology Study Guide
27. The most likely explanation for showing fewer organisms at each level as you
move up the energy pyramid is that
some energy is lost to the environment as heat
28. Explain and give an example of nonnative organisms being introduced to an
ecosystem.
• Rabbits transported from Europe overrun and deplete farmlands in Australia.
• Many areas in the southeastern United States are overgrown with the kudzu
plant from Asia.
• In parts of New York State, bluebirds must compete with starlings originally
brought here from England
29. How do similar organisms avoid competing with each other for the same
resources? Give an example.
Two species of birds, such as warblers, may have different feeding locations on
the same tree.
Ecology Study Guide
30. Why would widespread use of insecticide cause a greater reduction of
biodiversity in a large ecosystem than building a home?
The insecticide would cause all the 1st consumers to disappear which would
result in competition between producers and the disappearance of all the 2nd
and 3rd consumers. Building a home would only cause a local disturbance to a
habitat.
31. How is a reduction in natural predators across the U.S. having a negative
impact on ecosystems?
Predators have an important role in keeping populations of first consumers in
check and limiting competition between them and increasing biodiversity.
Ecology Study Guide
The following graph shows the population dynamics between wolves and moose
on Isle Royale.
32. Explain the relationship.
As the wolf population decreases, the moose population increases and as the
wolf population increases, the moose population decreases.
33. Explain what the arrow represent in food chains and food webs.
The flow of energy and matter from one organism to the next.