End-of-Course Test Study Guide  Part 7 of 7   (15% of Final Average!!!!)

Content Domain 7: Ecology and the Environment

1.    The thin layer of land, air, and water where life on Earth exists is the biosphere.

2.    Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

3.    A group of the same species of organisms living in an area is a population.

4.    A group of more than one type of species in an area is a community.

5.    Different species of organisms in an area, plus the nonliving parts of the environment make up the ecosystem.

6.    Environmental factors that are living are referred to as biotic, while those that are nonliving are known as abiotic. Plants, animals, and bacteria are examples of biotic factors. Four examples of abiotic factors are water, temperature, oxygen, and natural disasters.

7.    The place where an organism lives is its habitat, while it’s “job” or “way of life” is called its niche.

8.    The ultimate source of energy in an ecosystem is the sun, but only 10% of this energy is transferred to the next trophic level.

9.    Organisms that make their own food are called autotrophs or producers. They are found at the bottom of the energy pyramid.

10.  The path of energy from producer to consumer is a food chain. Make one containing at least four organisms.

grass®rabbit®snake®hawk

11.  Many interconnected food chains make up a food web.

12.  T or F.  Energy is recycled in an ecosystem.

13.  T or F.  Matter is recycled in an ecosystem.

14.  Water Cycle: Rain, snow, and sleet are examples of precipitation. When liquid water changes into the gaseous state, it is called evaporation. When water evaporates from leaves into the atmosphere, it is called transpiration. When water changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state, it is called condensation.

15.  Nitrogen Cycle: bacteria are found in the root nodules of special plants called legumes; they convert nitrogen gas into a usable form for the plants. Animals get this nitrogen when they eat plants. When organisms die, nitrogen is returned to the soil.

16.  Carbon Cycle: Carbon enters the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned, when organisms do cell respiration, and during volcanic eruptions. Carbon leaves the abiotic and enters the biotic parts when plants perform photosynthesis and when decomposers break down dead organisms.

17.  Phosphorus Cycle: Plants get phosphorus from the soil. Animals get it when they eat plants. It is returned to the soil when plants and animals die.

18.  When communities change over time, it is called ecological succession. There are 2 types. If NO LIFE existed there before, it is primary  succession. The first organisms to colonize such an area are pioneer species, such as lichen. What types of organisms are next? mosses, then grasses, then shrubs, pines, hardwood trees

19.  When there used to be life, but a disaster occurs, killing everything, secondary succession occurs. It is faster because soil is already present. This type usually begins with things like grasses.

20.  A community that is relatively stable and unlikely to change is called a climax community.

21.  If the number of births equals the number of deaths in a community, zero population growth is the result.

22.  If the population grows exponentially because there are no limiting factors, the growth curve looks like the letter J. The population size will rapidly exceed the carrying capacity and will likely crash.

23.  If the population levels off (stabilizes) at the carrying capacity, due to limiting factors, the curve is called logistic, and is shaped like the letter S

24.  Some examples of limiting factors are food, space, interspecific competition, intraspecific competition, disease, sunlight...

25.  A large region that has a certain climate and characteristic animals and plants is called a biome. The climate is based on amount of precipiation and temperature.

26.   

27.  Aquatic environments: examples of standing water: lakes & ponds, examples of moving water: rivers & streams. There is freshwater and saltwater (marine). An estruary is a combination of the two.

28.  What are some ways humans have caused the extinction of species? clearcutting (habitat loss), pollution (habitat degradation), introduction of exotic species, building roads through habitat (habitat fragmentation)

29.  A harmful product, or waste product in the environment is a pollutant. Air pollution is caused from burning of fossil fuels. Examples of air pollutants are dust, smoke, ash, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides. A combination of smoke, gases, and fog is called smog. If it combines with water vapor, it produces acid rain.

30.  If too much carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere, it leads to the greenhouse effect. This is thought to contribute to global warming

31.  What are some things that may cause water pollution? sewage, chemical wastes, fertilizer, dirty wash water

32.  What happens to the materials that are not recycled or cannot be recycled or reused? land fills

33.  What are two alternate sources of energy for electricity, instead of burning fossil fuels? solar power  & wind power