Unit 1 - Ecology Study Guide

Question 1

What is the difference between a quantitative and qualitative observation?

Answer 1

Quantity is measurable, quality is something observed but not measured. ex. color

Question 2

Describe the important parts of a graph.

Answer 2

• Title
• Axis labels
• Scale

Question 3

How are a hypothesis, a scientific theory, and a scientific law different?

Answer 3

Hypothesis = Possible answer
Theory = Proven hypothesis one time
Law = Proven theory several times

Question 4

Control Group

Answer 4

untested group

Question 5

List and explain the characteristics of life.

Answer 5

1. Growth - Increase in size or shape
2. Reproduction - Ability to make another organism (asexual/sexual)
3. Energy - Uses energy for processes (autotroph/heterotroph)
4. Adaptation - Changes over time to better survive
5. Response to Stimuli - Changes because of the environment
6. Cells - Made of cells (Unicellular/Multicellular)
7. Organization - Organized from cells→tissues→organs→organ systems→organism
8. Development - Becomes more advanced

Question 6

Outline Aristotle’s classification system and what were the disadvantages?

Answer 6

Animals Plants
| |
Land Herbs
Water Shrubs
Air Trees

Disadvantages:
- Grouped different organisms together
- Left out microorganisms
-Grouped Fungi into plants

Question 7

Define binomial nomenclature and discuss its purpose.

Answer 7

two-word naming system for all organisms; gives the scientific name consisting of genus and species; ex. Homo sapiens = humans

Question 8

Who created the current classification system? What are the categories of classification used today?

Answer 8

Linnaeus grouped organisms based on physical traits:
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Question 9

Why do we use dichotomous keys? What is the ONE rule surrounding the use of a dichotomous key?

Answer 9

Dichotomous keys identify different organisms based on observable traits. Rule #1 ALWAYS START AT THE TOP

Question 10

What does the arrow indicate in a food chain?

Answer 10

Shows the passing of energy

Question 11

Why is an energy pyramid wider at the bottom and more narrow at the top?

Answer 11

Only 10% of energy stays as you go up each trophic level

Question 12

What happens to energy as it moves through a food chain?

Answer 12

10% of the energy is passed on, while around 90% of the energy is lost to heat and life processes like respiration

Question 13

What does a food web demonstrate?

Answer 13

The passing of energy in an ecosystem

Question 14

Differentiate between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Give two examples of each.

Answer 14

Biotic: Living things in an ecosystem
ex. living organisms, dead organisms

Abiotic: Non-living things in an ecosystem
ex. sun, water

Question 15

Taxes/taxis

Answer 15

Movement in response to a stimulis

Question 16

Suckling

Answer 16

Obtaining nutrients from the mammary glands

Question 17

migration

Answer 17

Animals move from one habitat to another

Question 18

Estivation

Answer 18

Plant or animal becomes dormant (slowing down processes) during the summer for survival in hot and dry periods

Question 19

Hibernation

Answer 19

Plant or animal becomes dormant (slowing down processes) during the winter

Question 20

Habituation

Answer 20

Less sensitive to a stimulus after repeated exposure ex. strong odors

Question 21

Imprinting

Answer 21

Animals attachments during youth like parents

Question 22

Classical conditioning

Answer 22

learned involuntary responses from associating stimuli ex. dog knows they’ll get food when the bell rings

Question 23

Trial and Error

Answer 23

Animal performs a behavior over and over again until success is achieved

Question 24

Explain the carbon cycle.

Answer 24

1. Photosynthesis: Plants pull carbon out of the air to make glucose
2. Respiration: Plants and animals add carbon to the air
3. Decomposition: decomposed organisms trap carbon in the soil
4. Combustion: Burning fossil fuels that release carbon
5. Earth Processes: Volcanic activity, erosion, and fires can add carbon into the atmosphere

Question 25

Explain the nitrogen cycle.

Answer 25

1. Fixation: Nitrogen in the atmosphere is turned into ammonium by nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria in the soil, or nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legume root nodules
2. Nitrification: Ammonium is changed into nitrates by bacteria in the soil to be used by plants
3. Assimilation: Nitrates are absorbed from the soil into plants roots for amino acids, nucleic acids, and chlorophyll. Consumed up the food chain.
4. Ammonification: When dead plants and animals die, nitrogen is decomposed and put back into soil.
5. Denitrification: Bacteria put nitrogen from soil into the atmosphere

Question 26

Define the greenhouse gas effect. What are human and natural influences?

Answer 26

Heat is trapped close to Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases, warming the surface.
ex. natural causes are evaporation or respiration. Human causes are man-made combustion.

Question 27

Why are the invasive species so harmful to the ecosystem they invade?

Answer 27

Invasive species typically don’t have predators so they out-compete native species for resources and populations explode.

Question 28

What does the shape of a population profile tell us about a country?

Answer 28

Shows the growth of a population over time. More triangular, more growth. More rectangular, less growth.

Question 29

Human behaviors and actions negatively impact our soil, air, and water. List three behaviors/actions that influence the soil, three for air, and three for water.

Answer 29

Soil:
1) Deforestation
2) Pesticides
3) Mining
Air:
1) Factories
2) Transportation
3) Livestock
Water:
1) Pesticides
2) Dams
3) Oil leaks

Question 30

Four actions that you can do to become a better environmental steward.

Answer 30

1. Environmental projects
2. Reduce waste
3. Recycle
4. Use less resources

Question 31

Constant

Answer 31

Stays the same

Question 32

Independent variable

Answer 32

Controlled by the scientist

Question 33

Dependent variable

Answer 33

Result of independent variable

Question 34

Range of Tolerance

Answer 34

Range of an amount of an abiotic factor that an organisms can live within

Question 35

Biomagnification vs. Bioaccumulation

Answer 35

Biomagnification - Chemicals accumulate in the environment

Bioaccumulation - Chemicals accumulate in an organism’s tissues

Question 36

S-Curve vs. J-Curve

Answer 36

S-Curve is a balanced population because of carrying capacity, J-curve is an exploded unbalanced population that eventually crashes because it went way over carrying capacity

Question 37

What do organisms need nitrogen for?

Answer 37

Proteins and nucleic acid

Question 38

How do humans add nitrogen to the environment?

Answer 38

Decompose waste and body

Question 39

How is ozone made?

Answer 39

Sunlight breaks down and reforms oxygen compounds to O3

Question 40

Pheromone

Answer 40

Substance produced to show others to engage in some kind of behavior

Question 41

Innate Behavior

Answer 41

Instinctive behavior

Question 42

What is a secondary Producer?

Answer 42

Herbivore; animal that feeds on plants

Question 43

Habitat fragmentation vs. Habitat degradation

Answer 43

Habitat fragmentation - Parts of a habitat are destroyed
Habitat degradation - Habitat is destroyed to the point it can’t support organisms