Honors Biology Ecology Concept List

Transcription

1 1. For each pair of terms, explain how the meanings of the terms differ. a. mutualism and commensalism b. parasitism and predation c. species richness and species diversity d. primary succession and secondary succession e. pioneer species and climax community 2. Use the following terms in the same sentence: producer, consumer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, detritivore, and decomposer. 3. The word niche is derived from the Old French word nichier, which means to nest. Using this information, explain why niche is a good term for the role of an organism in its environment. 4. Compare the five major types of relationships between species by creating a table. 5. Describe two evolutionary adaptations that enable organisms to be efficient predators. 6. Identify two evolutionary adaptations that enable prey species to avoid being eaten. 7. Explain some of the adaptations that may enable a host species to defend itself against parasites. 8. Describe the experiments that Gause conducted on competition in paramecia, and explain what the results demonstrated. 9. State why, in the study of competition between two species of barnacles, Semibalanus balanoides was the superior competitor, yet Chthamalus stellatus was not excluded from the community. 10. Identify the benefits that certain ants derive from their relationship with Acacia plants and the benefits that the plants receive from the ants. 11. Explain the possible consequences of habitat loss in terms of the species-area effect. 12. Describe how a disturbance could benefit some species in a community. 13. Summarize one view on how species richness affects community stability. 14. Describe primary and secondary succession. 15. Distinguish between a herbivore, a carnivore, and an omnivore. 16. State an example of each of the following: a herbivore, a carnivore, and an omnivore. 17. Explain the importance of decomposers in an ecosystem. 18. Describe why a food web is a more complete picture of the feeding relationships in an ecosystem than a food chain is. 19. Identify the reasons why most ecosystems normally contain only a few trophic levels. 20. Compare the transfer of energy with the transfer of nutrients in an ecosystem. 21. Explain how plants return water to the atmosphere as part of the water cycle. 22. Describe two processes in the carbon cycle.

2 23. Use the following terms to create a concept map that compares the two types of succession: primary succession, secondary succession, pioneer species, climax community, bare rock, lichens, organic matter, soil, weeds, shrubs, and trees. 24. Examine the figure above. These three warbler species each feed on insects in spruce trees at the same time. However, each species tends to forage in a different area of the tree. a. What ecological process is demonstrated by the feeding patterns of these species? b. In some areas, there are five species of warblers that feed in spruce trees. Form a hypothesis about the feeding patterns of the other two species. 25. Can two species that never come in contact with each other compete for the same resource? Explain your answer. 26. Some plants are pollinated by only one pollinator. Explain why this situation might benefit the plant. How could this relationship be a danger to the plant species? 27. How do decomposers benefit an ecosystem? F. by returning nutrients to the soil G. by manufacturing energy from sunlight H. by removing excess nutrients from the soil J. by removing predators from the ecosystem 28. Which organisms are most critical in the nitrogen cycle? A. plants B. nitrates C. animals D. bacteria

3 The illustration below represents a trophic pyramid. Use the illustration to answer the question that follows. 29. What is the term for the kinds of organisms that make up the trophic level labeled C? F. producers G. consumers H. detritivores J. decomposers The illustration below represents a food chain. Use the illustration to answer the questions that follow. 30. What role do the krill have in this food chain? F. They are producers. G. They are consumers. H. They are detritivores. J. They are decomposers. 31. Give two reasons why the destruction of tropical rain forests can contribute to an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

4 32. A certain tropical tree has a fruit that is eaten by only one species of bats. As the bat digests the fruit, the seeds are made ready to sprout. When the bat excretes the wastes of the fruit, it drops seeds in new locations. Which of the following is the correct term for the relationship between the bat and the tree? A. predation B. mutualism C. competition D. commensalism 33. Which of the following is a parasite? F. a lion hunting a zebra G. a deer grazing on grass H. a tick sucking blood from a dog J. a snake swallowing a bird s egg 34. Three species of birds forage for insects in the same tree. However, each species tends to forage in different parts of the tree. This pattern of foraging is best explained as an adaptation to which of the following relationships? A. predation B. mutualism C. competition D. commensalism The map below shows two islands. Use the map to answer the question that follows. 35. What can you infer about the number of species on each of these islands? F. Island A has more species. G. Island B has more species. H. Island A and Island B will have the same number of species. J. Both islands will have fewer species than islands that are located farther north. 36. What can you infer about the number of species on each of these islands? F. Island A has more species. G. Island B has more species. H. Island A and Island B will have the same number of species. J. Both islands will have fewer species than islands that are located farther north.

5 The shading in the graph below indicates the frequency with which a certain bird species obtains prey, by prey size and location. Use the graph to answer the question that follows. 37. Which of the following statements is best supported by this graph? F. Most often, the bird eats insects. G. Most often, the bird nests above ground. H. Most often, the bird finds prey at ground level. J. Most often, the bird eats prey that is between 3 and 5 mm long. 38. Some plants produce chemicals that are irritating or poisonous to some animals. Explain the role of these adaptations in an ecological community. 39. The gradual, sequential change in species in an area is called ecological succession. Part A Describe the stages of primary succession. Part B Compare primary succession and secondary succession.