Exam 1

Question 1

Define Ecology

Answer 1

Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of their environment

Question 2

Define Ecosystem

Answer 2

An ecosystem consists of all the biotic and abiotic components in an area; energy flows through ecosystems, while chemicals cycle within an ecosystem.

Question 3

Describe the hierarchy of biological organization and explain your position in this hierarchy

Question 4

Describe and distinguish between the large scale and local factors that determine the distribution of terrestrial biomes

Answer 4

Local factors that determine the distribution of terrestrial biomes is bodies of water, mountains, and microclimates. Large scale factors include average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, climate, and disturbance.

Question 5

List and describe the zones of aquatic ecosystems in oceans

Answer 5

The intertidal zone is shore between tide lines where oxygen and nutrient levels are high. The neritic zone is low tide line up to continental shelf. The photic zone gets light. The aphotic zone is too deep for light to penetrate. The benthic province is the sediments at the bottom. The pelagic province is the water column above the bottom. The continental shelf is near the intertidal zone and has the highest diversity.

Question 6

explain the process of lake turnover

Answer 6

In winter the high nutrients are on the bottom of the body of water with lower temperatures towards the surface of the water, and high O2 concentration in the middle of the water. In Spring there is mixing in the body of water and even temperatures. In summer there is high O2 concentration on the surface of the water with the higher temperatures also at the surface and low nutrients at the bottom. In fall there is a repeat of the mixing.

Question 7

define population ecology

Answer 7

Population ecology is the study of how and why the number of individuals in a population changes over time.

Question 8

define population demography

Question 9

how would you calculate population size based on mark recapture information

Answer 9

Take the total # caught and marked the first time and multiply it by the total counted the second time captured. You would then divide this number by the # marked in the second count to get the answer that is the estimated population size.

Question 10

explain how each of the demographic parameters affect population growth

Answer 10

1) Age of first reproduction
2) frequency of reproduction
3) fecundity: the average number of female offspring
4) length of reproductive life span

Question 11

distinguish between three generalized survivorship patterns

Answer 11

Type I - low mortality in young and produce fewer young and care for them until adulthood
Type II - Intermediate, constant death rate, less common, some invertebrates and rodents
Type III - high mortality in young, produce many young which must fend for themselves

Question 12

describe population growth over several generations under both exponential and logistical growth models

Question 13

distinguish between density dependent and density independent factors affecting population size and give a detailed example of each

Answer 13

Density dependent factors become increasingly effective at limiting growth as population size increases. An example of density dependent factors is disease because pathogens spread more rapidly in dense populations. Density independent factors limit population size regardless of density. An example of density independent factors is weather because annual plant and insect populations are often limited by sudden changes in weather.

Question 14

how could you apply principles of population ecology to real life examples of management of populations

Question 15

how could you apply principles of population ecology and carrying capacity to human growth population

Question 16

how would you identify the different adaptions associated with predator prey relationships, if give a biological scenario

Question 17

how would you identify the keystone species from a given situation and describe its role in a community

Question 18

describe what coevolution is and give an example from lecture or your textbook

Answer 18

Coevolution occurs when predators evolve to catch prey better, and prey evolve to avoid being caught.

Question 19

if given a biological scenario, how would you identify the major forms of community interactions present

Question 20

compare and contract intraspecific and interspecific competition; explain how you are able to identify factors that two species or individuals within a species might compete for ; and how to identify relationships based upon growth curves

Answer 20

Intraspecific competition is competition between individuals within a species for resources. Interspecific competition is competition between species for same limited resources. Interspecific competition is specific examples of resources two resources could compete for (food, space, light, etc.).

Question 21

describe the difference between a fundamental and realized niche

Answer 21

A fundamental niche is all conditions under which the organism can survive. A realized niche is a set of conditions under which it exists in nature.

Question 22

list the factors that can contribute to the definition of the realized niche

Question 23

describe competitive exclusion

Answer 23

Competitive exclusion is when two species compete for the same limited resource; the better adapted species will out compete the other species and eventually the first species will drive the second species out of that environment.

Question 24

describe how competitive exclusion is related to the fundamental and realized niche for each organism

Answer 24

Competition could make realized niche smaller than fundamental niche.

Question 25

Define Biodiversity

Answer 25

Biodiversity is the number of different species of organisms.

Question 26

distinguish between potential and kinetic energy and give an example of each

Answer 26

Potential energy is stored energy. Kinetic energy is energy in use. Let’s say you were standing on a very tall rock, you standing on the high rock would be potential energy and jumping off the rock would be kinetic energy.

Question 27

describe the energy sources for both autotrophs and heterotrophs organisms

Answer 27

For autotrophs they use energy sources through photosynthesis. Heterotroph organisms use energy sources by consuming other organisms.

Question 28

describe the process of trophic energy transfer and the amount of energy movement

Question 29

restate the first and second laws of thermodynamics and explain how they relate to energy flow in a food web and explain where any energy lost goes

Answer 29

The first law of thermodynamics states energy cannot be created nor destroyed meaning the amount of energy remains constant. The second law of thermodynamics is that the transfer of energy does not occur with 100% efficiency due to disorder naturally increases in the universe.

Question 30

draw a basic aquatic and terrestrial food web, including decomposers and label the primary producers, primary consumers, secondary and tertiary consumers

Question 31

Distinguish between control & experimental in an experiment

Question 32

distinguish between independent, dependent, and controlled variables

Answer 32

Independent variable is the one being altered. Dependent variable is the measured outcome. Controlled variables give you a baseline to which you can compare the rest of the results (starting point).

Question 33

distinguish when something is scientific or not

Answer 33

When something is scientific it is testable and falsifiable.

Question 34

prove the basic definition of biological evolution

Answer 34

Evolution is the change in genetic makeup of a population over time.

Question 35

provide an example of recent evolution

Question 36

distinguish between fact, hypothesis, and theory

Answer 36

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for an observable phenomenon, and must lead to testable, falsifiable predictions. A theory is a major unifying idea with far reaching implications that has been extensively tested and attempts to disprove it have failed. A scientific fact is an objective and verifiable observation.

Question 37

What do the interactions being studied in ecology determine?

Answer 37

these interactions determine the distribution of organisms and their abundance

Question 38

List and describe aquatic zones in freshwater

Answer 38

The littoral zone is well lit and close to shore. The photic zone of freshwater is the top layer of water and is well lit. Benthic zone is the bottom layer. Aphotic zone is not well lit. The pelagic zone is both the photic and aphotic zone.

Question 39

Describe each part of the estimation of population size equation

Answer 39

N=sn/x
N is the population size estimated.
s is the sample of individuals in a population that were marked.
n is the second sample of individuals.
x is the number of the second sample that were marked