Ecology Study Guide

1. What is ecology? The study of living things and their interactions with their environment.

2. What is the biosphere? What are the parts of the biosphere? part of the earth that
supports life; lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere

3. Define: lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere lithosphere- top portion of the earth’s
crust
hydrosphere- the water that covers earth
atmosphere- the gases surrounding the earth

4. What is an ecosystem? all of the living and non-living things in a particular area

5. How is a community different from a population? population is one certain species, but
community is a bunch of population

6. What is the population density of an ecosystem? the number in the population/area

7. What is an example of a habitat? the place where an organism lives

8. What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors? biotic is living, but abiotic is
non-living

9. What is an example of a limiting factor? limited food supply

10. How is the carrying capacity of an ecosystem affected by the limiting factor? the limiting
factor is what causes the carrying capacity

11. What could happen if the carrying capacity of an ecosystem was exceeded?
overpopulation and the ecosystem could be destroyed

12. What are examples of producers? plants

13. What are examples of consumers? humans

14. What is migration? the movement of a population in or out of a habitat.

15. What is the difference between immigration and emigration? immigration is entering a
new place (increase). emigration is leaving a place (decrease)

16. What is a biome? large geographic areas with similar climates and ecosystems
 17. What are the seven biomes we studied? Give a brief description, and list plants and
animals found in each biome.

Biomes
Biome Characteristics Wildlife Plants Abiotic Factors

Tundra Frozen desert, Artic hare, Arctic poppies, Hills and low
with no trees and musk oxen, mosses, and mountains
little waterfall lemmings, lichen
Arctic
ground
squirrels,
and
ptarmigan.
Caribou and
many species
of birds
migrate there
Taiga Heavily forested Woodland Moss, pine, Cold frozen
regions. caribou, white spruce, and Fertile soil
Mountainous moose, hemlocks
with tall trees brown bears,
beaver, lynx,
and wolves.
Also has
rodents,
rabbits,
sable, and
mink.
Temperate Annual Deer Frog American Beech. rocks, climate,
deciduous temperature is Fox Cardinal Tree that grows soil, sunlight,
forest 50º F and average Black Bear in Main and rain and
rainfall is 30 to Beaver Bald northern temperature
60 inches Eagle Massachusetts

Temperate Many Bengal Bamboo humidity, soil

rain forest Year round different and Southeast Asia composition,
warmth and 50 to weird temperature,
260 inches of animals and sunlight
Rain
Tropical rain Warm, moist, Many Bengal Bamboo humidity, soil
forest very luscious different and Southeast Asia composition,
weird temperature,
animals and sunlight

Desert Driest biome, Armadillo Small bushes and Precipitation,

with little yearly lizards cacti water
rainfall. Small availability,
bushes are only sunlight, and
plant life temperature

Grasslands Large open fields Bumble Bee Big Bluestem climate, parent
with tall grass. grass material and
Little to no trees, soil,
and great for topography,
cattle. and natural
disturbances
18. What are examples of freshwater ecosystems? Rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds

19. What are examples of saltwater ecosystems? Oceans and coral reefs

20. What is an estuary? What is an example found in the US? Where river and oceans meet;
Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico

21. What is an altricial organism? An organism that is helpless at birth and must be cared for
by parents

22. Give an example of an altricial organism. Humans

23. What is a precocial organism? An organism that can care for its self at birth

24. Give an example of a precocial organism. Swans

25. What is the food chain? a model showing the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

26. How can a food chain/food web be affected if there was a drought? plants would die, then
herbivores would starve, and then carnivores would die of starvation

27. What is symbiosis? a close relationship between species that involves sharing of
resources

28. What are three examples of symbiotic relationships? mutualism, parasitism, and
commensalism

29. What is mutualism? Give an example. a symbiotic relationship where both species
benefit; pollination process of flowers

30. What is commensalism? Give an example. a symbiotic relationship where one organism
benefits and the other is not hurt, but gains nothing; barnacles on a whale.
31. What is parasitism? Give an example. a symbiotic relationship where one organism
benefits and the other is harmed; ticks on animals

32. What is a niche? Give an example. an organisms role in the environment; a chameleon’s
color changing helps it hide from predators.

33. How is the predator/prey relationship helpful to an ecosystem? Keeps everything

balanced

34. What is a trophic cascade? the effects of the removal or introduction of a top predator to
an ecosystem

35. How could the removal of a top predator affect an ecosystem? The prey could
overpopulate

36. What is cooperation? Give an example. when things work together to benefit themselves.
Wolves hunting in a pack