1. Define ecology.
2. Define population ecology. Be able to give an example of a population.
3. Define community ecology. Be able to give an example of a community.
4. What is an ecosystem? Be able to give an example of an ecosystem.
5. What factors are most significant in defining a community's structure?
6. Describe the difference between the individualistic and interactive theories of community ecology.
7. Which of these two theories more closely approximates the distribution of plant species? Of animal species?
8. What conditions must be met for a definition of coevolution?
9. Give an example of coevolution in a community. Describe the processes at work (i.e. selective force-adaptation-selective force-counteradaptation).
10. What are three different types of predator-prey interactions in a community?
11. Give three examples of plant defenses against predation.
12. Give three examples of animal defenses against predation ( at lease one active and one passive).
13. Give an example of aposematic coloration in animal defense.
14. Explain how aposematic coloration differs from mimicry.
15. What are the two major types of interspecific competition?
16. How do these relate to the competitive exclusion principle?
17. Give an example of the competitive exclusion principle in action (be able to give the names of the species involved).
18. Give a definition of a species' ecological niche within a community.
19. Explain what is meant by fundamental and realized niches. Explain an experiment that examined these concepts in a natural community.
20. How does resource partitioning affect interspecific competition within a community?
21. How does character displacement affect resource partitioning? What classical study described this concept?
22. What are three types of symbiotic relationships between species? Give two examples of each.
23. What are two examples of emergent characteristics at the community level? At the ecosystem level?
24. What is meant by trophic structure of a community? Of an ecosystem?
25 .Explain the differences between opportunistic (r-selected) and equilibrium (K-selected) species. Define r and K as they are used in these definitions.
26. Which of these species are more likely to predominate during the early stages of ecological succession? In a climax community?
27. What is the difference between primary and secondary succession? What species or general groups of organisms are likely to colonize first in each?
28. Which community is likely to have the greatest species diversity: one with mild disturbances, intermediate disturbances, or frequent disturbances?
29. What are three possible explanations for the higher diversity found in tropical communities?
30. What are two emergent characteristics of ecosystems which are not present at simpler levels of organization?
31. Can energy be recycled in an ecosystem in the same way that chemical compounds are?
32. What is meant by a species' trophic level? What are the three major categories of trophic levels in any ecosystem?
33. What sort of organisms are most likely to be found among primary producers? Primary consumers? Secondary or tertiary consumers? Detritivores?
34. How can a bald eagle be a tertiary consumer and a detritivore in the same ecosystem?
35. What is the generalized equation for photosynthetic carbon fixation? What factors cause the equation to flow in opposite directions?
36. Support or dispute the following statement: "Photosynthetic activity sets the spending limits for an entire ecosystem."
37. Define gross primary productivity (GPP) vs. net primary productivity (NPP). What % of GPP is generally available as NPP? How do the types of primary producers influence that %?
38. What units are used to express NPP of an ecosystem? What are four factors that could limit productivity in an ecosystem?
39. What is meant by a limiting nutrient? How do ocean currents, upwellings, and seasonal turnovers influence limiting nutrients?
40. Explain what you have learned about energy transfer and ecological pyramids.
41. How are carnivores more efficient at energy utilization than herbivores?
42. What is a biomass pyramid? How does it express ecological efficiency?
43. How does multiplicative energy loss limit the size of food webs?
44. Briefly describe how carbon is cycled through a terrestrial ecosystem.
45. What are some ways in which carbon becomes "tied up" within an ecosystem?
46. How are aquatic environments buffered for carbon concentration?
47. What is the "greenhouse effect"? How does it relate to concerns about global warming?
48. What organisms are responsible for making atmospheric nitrogen (N2) available to all other life?
49. What step do detritivores perform in the nitrogen cycle?
50. What step do nitrifying bacteria perform in the nitrogen cycle?
51. What nitrogen-containing compounds do animals need to obtain from plants or other animals?
52. Describe the differences seen in nutrient cycling time and soil nutrient levels between tropical and temperate ecosystems.
53. Know the names (Genus species) of at least two trees, shrubs, or vines found in your group's community plot.
54. What are the primary producers in your community plot?
55. What are some primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers that live within this forest ecosystem?
56. What are the primary producers in an open ocean ecosystem?
57. What are some primary, secondary,
and tertiary consumers that live within this open ocean ecosystem?