Study Guide

ANSWER KEY

  1. List the following in the correct order from smallest to largest.

population, biome, ecosystem, community, organism

organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome

  1. Define stewardship and give 3 example: Stewardship is providing one’s time and doing things to help the environment. Examples: volunteering to plant a tree, picking up trash, helping to plant a garden or crop.
  1. Define carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the largest population an ecosystem can support.
  2. A plant that responds to an outside stimulus such as light, touch, or gravity is called Tropism.
  3. Define Symbiosis.Symbiosis is the interaction between individuals from two different species that live close together
  4. List and give an example of each type of a symbiotic relationship:

1.Mutualism ex: cleaner fish and sharks (both benefit)

2.Parasitism ex: Mistletoe growing on a tree harms the tree by taking some of its water and nutrients (one benefits and one is harmed)

3 Commensalism ex: a bird building a nest in a tree (one benefits and the other is not neither harmed or helped)

  1. Define biodiversity and give one example.

Biodiversity is the number and variety of living things found on Earth or within an ecosystem.

Ex: new species of animals and plants appear in a wildlife preserve

  1. DORMANCY can take place in plants and animals, and is a period in an organism’s life cycle when growth, development, and/or physical activity are temporarily slowed down or stopped.
  2. BE SURE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO!!! Plants will respond to a stimulus by growing towards the source of stimulus which is positive response, or growing away from the source of stimulus which is negative response.
  3. TROPHIClevels describe the positions that identify and organism’s place in an ecosystem such as producers, herbivore, carnivores, topcarnivores.
  4. A factor that restricts or prevents continued growth in an ecosystem is called a LIMITING factor.
  5. An example of TOLERANCE is the range between the upper and lower temperature in which an organism can survive. What is another example?
  6. What organisms form the base of all ecosystems? PRODUCERS
  7. Name three major parts of the carbon cycle? PHOTOSYNTHESIS, RESPIRATION, COMBUSTION
  8. What is nitrogen fixation? NITROGEN FIXATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE. BACTERIA CONVERTS NITROGEN GAS INTO A FORM THAT PLANTS CAN USE.
  9. This is a large ecosystem that have distinctive organisms and a particular climate. BIOME
  10. SPECIESare organisms that can produce offspring and also belong to the samebreed.
  11. Grasses growing back after a forest fire is an example of SUCCESSION
  12. What does the National Environmental Policy Act do? THIS GOVERNMENT EFFORT MADE THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS A NATIONAL GOAL
  13. What is competition: is the struggle between individuals or different populations for a limited resource. Ex: male crickets chirping to attract females (one type of species)

OTHER:

The primary source of energy for almost all ecosystems is sunlight.

Examples of decomposers are: fungus, bacteria, etc

Decomposers are important because they break down inorganic matter into simpler compounds

QUESTIONS???? PLEASE ASK ME!!!!