Ecosystem Dynamics & Succession
Energy Flow & Pyramids
Human Impact - Atmosphere & Land
Human Impact - Water & Biodiversity
Regents Relationships & Cycles
100
This term describes the replacement of one community by another until a stable climax community is reached.
Ecological Succession
100
Identify the specific level of organization that includes all the living organisms (biotic) and the non-living (abiotic) factors in a specific area.
Ecosystem
100
Differentiate between Renewable and Nonrenewable resources. Provide one example of each.
Renewable can regenerate (trees/solar); Nonrenewable cannot be replaced once used (fossil fuels).
100
Describe the process of Biomagnification regarding toxins like Mercury or DDT.
Toxins become more concentrated as they move up the food chain, hitting apex predators the hardest.
100
Name the symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Commensalism
200
These are the nonliving physical or chemical factors, such as light and temperature, that affect organisms.
Abiotic Factors
200
In an Energy Pyramid, what is the original source of all energy?
Bonus 300: Which trophic level has the greatest amount of available energy and the largest biomass?
The Sun
Bonus: Producers (bottom/1st level)
200
Explain how the Greenhouse Effect is helpful to Earth, and how humans have made it harmful.
It is helpful because it traps heat to keep Earth warm; it is harmful because burning fossil fuels adds too much CO2, leading to Global Warming.
200
What human activity leads to Eutrophication (Algal Blooms), and what is the final result for the fish in that water?
Fertilizer runoff causes algae to overgrow, leading to a loss of Dissolved Oxygen, which suffocates the fish.
200
In a Parasitic relationship, why is it usually "bad for business" for the parasite to kill its host immediately?
The parasite depends on the living host for food and a home; if the host dies, the parasite may also die.
300
After a massive volcanic eruption like Mount St. Helens, explain why lichens and mosses must appear before hardwood trees.
Bonus 200: What do we classify them as?
They are pioneer organisms that break down rock into soil; hardwood trees require deep, nutrient-rich soil to grow.
Bonus: Pioneer Species
300
Use the 10% Rule to explain why there are always fewer apex predators (like hawks) than producers (like grass) in a biomass pyramid.
Bonus 400: If a food web shows an arrow pointing from a Mouse to a Snake, what does that arrow represent?
Only 10% of energy is passed to the next level; 90% is lost as heat, so there isn't enough energy to support a large number of top-level consumers.
Bonus: Energy
300
What is the primary cause of Ozone Depletion, and what is the negative result for human health?
Caused by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons); results in increased UV radiation, which causes skin cancer and mutations.
300
Why are Invasive Species like Zebra Mussels or Purple Loosestrife able to take over an ecosystem so quickly?
They lack natural predators in their new environment.
300
Describe a Niche. What happens when two different species try to occupy the exact same niche at the same time?
A niche is an organism’s specific role/job; they will compete until one species is eliminated or moves.
400
A developer wants to turn a local forest into a "stable" grass lawn. Explain why the forest is naturally more stable than the lawn.
The forest has greater biodiversity, which provides more pathways for energy flow and a higher chance of surviving environmental changes.
400
Describe the role of a Decomposer and explain why an ecosystem would fail without them.
They break down decaying matter and return nutrients to the environment for producers to reuse.
400
Explain why Deforestation results in an increase in atmospheric Carbon Dioxide.
Trees perform photosynthesis to remove CO2; without them, CO2 levels rise.
400
What is Biological Control for an invasive species?
Provide the example.
Using a natural predator/pathogen to target an invasive species.
Example: Using leaf-eating beetles to eat Purple Loosestrife.
400
If a population of Guanacos (prey) decreases, what happens to the population of Pumas (predator) shortly after? Explain why.
The Puma population will decrease because their food source (limiting factor) has diminished.
500
Explain the difference between a Primary Consumer and a Secondary Consumer in terms of their diet.
Primary consumers are herbivores (eat plants); Secondary consumers are carnivores or omnivores (eat other animals).
500
Define Carrying Capacity and list one factor that might cause a population to exceed it.
The maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support; factors include overproduction of food or a sudden lack of predators.
500
Define a Trade-off in the context of environmental science. Give an example involving a factory.
A compromise between a benefit and a cost. Example: A factory provides jobs (benefit) but causes air pollution (cost).
500
Explain how Thermal Pollution from power plants affects the amount of oxygen available for aquatic life.
Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water, making it harder for organisms to breathe.
500
Identify two ways humans can help prevent the extinction of endangered species according to your notes.
Creating laws (anti-poaching), building national parks/preserves, or habitat restoration.