Ecology Unit

Ecology Unit Review

by Ms. Rodriguez

Topic 1 - Ecology Basics (8 questions)

organism -> POPULATION -> COMMUNITY -> ​ecosystem -> biome -> biosphere

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​Niche: what, where and when an organism does something, its JOB

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​Primary Succession: bare rock and no topsoil, FIRST community in an area, the first organisms are the PIONEER species

lichens first then grass/shrubs/small trees then big trees and finally a CLIMAX community

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Multiple Choice

A group of organisms of the same species

• population

• community

• ecosystem

• biome

Multiple Choice

if 2 organisms have the same niche

• they will both die

• they will compete

• they can't live together

• they will both benefit

​Topic 2 - Community Ecology

Predation: (+/-)

Parasitism: (+/-)

Commensalism: (+/0)

Competition: (-/-)

Mutualism: (+/+)​

Multiple Choice

Birds called egrets, ride on the backs of cattle and eat the bugs they stir up when walking through grass. The cattle are unaffected by their presence.

• mutualism

• predation

• competition

• commensalism

​Topic 3 - Food Webs (9 questions)

​The ultimate source or energy = the SUN

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​​Primary producers -> primary consumer -> secondary consumers ->...

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​Decomposers get their energy from any level

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​Food chains are one linear feeding chain, while food webs are many connected food chains

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​Biomass- toal mass of living stuff in a trophic level

​Practice

• ​ What level has all the producers?

• ​Which level has the highest biomass?

• ​How much energy will the rat get?

​Topic 4 - Population Ecology

​Carrying capacity: the max population that can be supported (averages out)

​Density Dependent Limiting Factors: depends on population density

​Density Independent: populationd ensity does not matter

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​Exponential growth: rapid growth in short time, j-curve

​Logistic growth: rapid growth that levels off once carrying capacity is reaches, s-curve

Multiple Choice

Exponential growth

• j-curve

• s-curve

Multiple Choice

Predation, space/territory, disease are examples of:

• density dependent limiting factors

• density independent limiting factors