Ecology Test

Study Guide
Answers

Define the following:

a. autotroph- makes its own food; producer
b. Heterotroph- does not make its own food;
consumers
c. Niche- the species role in the environment
d. Habitat- physical location in which a species
lives
e. Abiotic factor- non-living factor (ex. Light)
f. Biotic factor- living factors (ex. Plants)
g. Community- a group of organisms of different
species living together in a particular place
h. Biome- major ecosystem that occurs over a
wide areas of land

i. Ecosystem diversity- encompasses

the variety of habitats that occur
within a region
j. Species diversity- the variety and
abundance of different types of
organisms that inhabit an area
k. Genetic diversity- combination of
different genes found within a
population of a single species and the
pattern of variation found within
different populations of the same
species.

1. What is ecology?
The study of the interaction of living
organisms with each other and their
environment
2. What makes up the biosphere?
Atmosphere, land masses, ocean bottoms
3. Name 2 examples of producers.
Grass and trees
4. Name 2 examples of decomposers.
Fungi and bacteria
5. What do plants convert nitrogen into?
protein

6. Which element is found in all living things?

Carbon
7. Explain pioneer species.
The first species in an area
8. What are the 2 types of biomes?
Aquatic and terrestrial
9. What is first formed from a pioneer
species?
Soil
10. What would be the primary producer of
grassland?
grass

11. Give an example of an abiotic and

biotic factor.
Abiotic- light; Biotic- plants
12. What is a carnivore? Give an example.
Carnivore- eats other consumers; ex) tiger
13. Name everything that makes up an
ecosystem.
Community of organisms, energy, soil,
water, weather
14. When an organism dies, what happens
to the nitrogen?
It is released by the action of the
decomposers

15. Precipitation and evaporation are

important to which cycle?
Water
16. Since individuals in a population
tend to produce more than one
offspring, what happens?
Populations tend to increase in size
17. As a population reaches its
carrying capacity, what will there be
competition for?
Food, shelter, makes

18. Give an example of a densityindependent factor.

Severe weather
19. Give an example of a predator and prey
relationship.
Lion eating a zebra
20. Differentiate between parasitism,
commensalism, and mutualism.
Parasitism- one organism benefits at the
expense of the other
Mutualism- both organisms benefit
Commensalism- one organism benefits and
the other is not affected

21. Give an example of parasitism.

A tick feeding on a dog
22. Give an example of commensalism.
Barnacle attached to a whale
23. Give an example of mutualism.
Flowering plants and bees that pollinate them
24. Describe the process of succession.
The regular progression of species replacement in an
environment.
25. What is the difference between primary and secondary
succession?
Primary succession- occurs in an area that has not been
previously inhabited
Secondary succession- occurs in an area that has been
previously inhabited (existing soil)
26. Give 2 examples of secondary succession.
Recover after a forest fire, and recovery of an abandoned
field

27. Give an example of primary succession.

Bare rock from a lava flow
28. Give an example of an animal living in a
temperate deciduous forest.
Deer
29. Describe the characteristics of the
temperate forest.
4 seasons, trees lose leaves in fall, birds
migrate, racoons, deer, squirrels
30. When going from one trophic level to the
next higher level, what happens to the
amount of usable energy?
Amount of usable energy decreases

31. Explain the biogeochemical cycle.

Water and minerals pass back and forth
between biotic and abiotic portions of the
environment
32. Describe grassland.
Miles of grass, few trees, zebras, elephants
33. Describe temperate forest.
See #27
34. Describe desert.
Middle of the continent, wide range of
temperature, very sandy soil, few plants,
less rain than any other place on Earth

35. Which macromolecule is nitrogen a

component of?
Protein
36. How do humans affect the carbon cycle?
Burning fossil fuels, destroying vegetation, and
clearing forests
37. What are the 3 symbiotic relationships?
Parasitism, mutualism, commensalism
38. Why are decomposers necessary for the
continuation of life on Earth?
Decomposers recycle nitrogen and carbon by
releasing them from dead organisms. Without this
action, the Earth would eventually be depleted of
these essential materials that organisms require.