Ecology Basics
Biomes
Cycles
NPP
Energy Flow
100
A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
What is mutualism?
100
Biome characterized by heavy rainfall, warm temperatures, and the highest levels of biodiversity.
What is the tropical rainforest?
100
The biotic parts of the carbon cycle centers around these two processes.
What are photosynthesis and cellular (aerobic) respiration?
100
The total amount of carbon taken in by plants through photosynthesis.
What is GPP?
100
The importance of decomposers in ecosystems.
What is recycling nutrients?
200
The difference between parasitism and predation.
What is parasitism does not kill host whereas predation kills prey. What is parasites are typically much smaller than the host whereas predators are typically larger than their prey.
200
The rainforest biome is best represented by which of the following climatographs?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u25kS0KHaf7brKfYUEW4HShRma5vdGNDKK2TyWHIaRQ/edit?usp=sharing
B
200
This biogeochemical cycle has no atmospheric stage.
What is the phosphorus cycle?
200
NPP = ___ - Respiration Rate
What is GPP?
200
The trophic level of eagles that consume fish that eat algae.
What is a secondary consumer?
300
The relationship between the cattle egret and cattle.
Cattle egret eat insects that are disturbed when the cattle forage.
What is commensalism?
300
The source of the majority of dissolved oxygen in marine biomes.
What is photosynthesis by phytoplankton (type of algae)?
300
Describe the processes of nitrification and denitrification.
Nitrification: Using bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrates
Denitrification: Using bacteria to convert soil nitrates to nitrogen gas
300
The products of photosynthesis.
What are glucose and oxygen?
300
Describe the second law of thermodynamics and how it applies to the trophic pyramid.
the total entropy, or disorder, of an isolated system can only increase over time - hence, energy is lost between each trophic level. Only 10% of energy move from one level of the pyramid to the next.
400
Anole lizards in Puerto Rico are all closely related evolutionarily. These lizards can all live closely together due to their preference for different habitats. This concept is shown in the diagram below.
What is resource partitioning?
400
Which latitudes on a globe do we find the following biomes: deserts, rainforests, forests, and ice deserts
Rainforests: 0
Deserts: 30
Forests: 60
Ice Deserts: 90/Poles
400
The majority of Earth's freshwater is found in this reservoir.
What are ice caps and glaciers?
400
The net primary productivity of an ecosystem is 1 kg C/m^2/year, and the energy needed by the producers for their own respiration is 1.5 kg C/m^2/year. The gross primary productivity of such an ecosystem would be...
What is 2.5 kg C/m^2/year.
400
There is a disease that cuts the number of mink in this aquatic ecosystem in half. Determine the effect of this change to the muskrat population, osprey population, and brown trout population.
What is a decline in the muskrat population, an increase in the osprey population, and an increase in the brown trout population?
500
The relationship between two or more species occupying the same niche in an ecosystem.
What is competition?
500
Identify and describe three water quality tests and their importance.
Answers vary.
pH: Measured on a scale from 1-14, changes can signify a source of pollution
Turbidity: caused by suspended particles in the water column, increased turbidity can lead to clogged gills and less sunlight for photosynthesis
Dissolved Oxygen: a measure of how much oxygen is available for respiration. A lack of oxygen can lead to fish die-offs
Nitrates: A measure of how many nitrates are in the water column. Increased nitrates may lead to eutrophication and fish die-offs.
500
This nutrient is most often the limiting factor in ecosystems because it is mostly insoluble in water.
What is phosphorus?
500
Identify the primary purpose of producers performing photosynthesis.
To make glucose
500
The primary producers in the desert ecosystem represented below hold 15,000 kcal/m^2/yr of energy in their biomass. Calculate the amount of energy available to birds of prey in the desert ecosystem.
What is 15 kcal/m^2/yr?