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General Biology: Ecology Exam Review

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Termini in questo insieme (26)

  • Characteristics of all living things

    Living things grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli, maintain homeostasis, have metabolism, are made of cells, and evolve over time.

  • Biosphere, ecosystem, and community - which is most inclusive?

    Biosphere is most inclusive: all ecosystems on Earth. Ecosystem includes communities plus abiotic factors. Community is all populations of different species in an area.

  • Least inclusive: organism, cells, or molecules?

    Molecules are least inclusive, as they are chemical structures. Cells make up organisms, which are individual living things.

  • Define consumers, producers, and decomposers with examples

    Producers make their own food (e.g., plants). Consumers eat other organisms (e.g., animals). Decomposers break down dead matter (e.g., fungi).

  • How does energy flow differ from nutrient cycling in ecosystems?

    Energy flows one-way and is lost as heat. Materials/nutrients cycle and are reused within the ecosystem.

  • Define abiotic and biotic factors

    Abiotic factors are nonliving components (e.g., temperature). Biotic factors are living components (e.g., plants, animals).

  • Water cycle: where is water stored and how does it return to atmosphere?

    Water is stored in oceans, lakes, and groundwater. It returns to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.

  • Carbon cycle: how does carbon move from air to secondary/tertiary consumers?

    Plants photosynthesize to fix carbon. Primary consumers eat plants; secondary/tertiary consumers eat those consumers, transferring carbon.

  • Nitrogen cycle: which organisms make atmospheric nitrogen usable and how?

    Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert N2 gas into usable forms via nitrogen fixation. Other bacteria perform nitrification and denitrification.

  • Trophic levels in an ecological pyramid

    From bottom to top: Producers (autotrophs), primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), tertiary consumers (top predators).

  • Impact of reduced or increased primary consumer population on a food chain

    Reduced primary consumers cause producer overgrowth and predator decline. Increased primary consumers reduce producers and may increase predators.

  • How do latitude, elevation, area, and age affect species diversity?

    Lower latitude, moderate elevation, larger area, and older ecosystems generally have higher species diversity.

  • Fundamental niche vs. realized niche

    Fundamental niche is the full potential habitat a species can occupy. Realized niche is where it actually lives due to competition.

  • Competitive exclusion principle

    Two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist indefinitely; one will outcompete the other.

  • Keystone species

    A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.

  • Primary vs. secondary succession

    Primary succession occurs on lifeless areas with no soil. Secondary succession occurs where a disturbance removed life but soil remains.

  • GPP, NPP, and SPP definitions

    GPP: total energy captured by producers. NPP: energy after producers' respiration. SPP: energy available to consumers.

  • Examples of symbiotic relationships: commensalism, predation, parasitism, mutualism, competition

    Commensalism: one benefits, other unaffected (e.g., barnacles on whales). Predation: one kills another. Parasitism: one benefits, other harmed. Mutualism: both benefit. Competition: both harmed.

  • Exponential vs. logistic growth curves

    Exponential growth shows unlimited growth. Logistic growth includes carrying capacity, leveling off as resources limit growth.

  • Density dependent vs. density independent limiting factors

    Density dependent: factors like disease, competition that depend on population size. Density independent: factors like weather, natural disasters.

  • Carrying capacity

    The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely.

  • Survivorship curve types I, II, and III

    Type I: high survival early, low late (e.g., humans). Type II: constant death rate (e.g., birds). Type III: high early mortality (e.g., fish).

  • Age-distribution graphs: increasing, decreasing, stable populations

    Wide base = increasing population; narrow base = decreasing; uniform shape = stable population.

  • Impact of newly introduced species on an ecosystem

    Can disrupt food webs, outcompete natives, introduce diseases, or alter habitats.

  • Greenhouse effect and climate change

    Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming Earth. Increased gases cause climate change.

  • Human impacts threatening biodiversity

    Habitat destruction, pollution, overhunting, invasive species, and climate change threaten biodiversity.