BIO FINAL EXAM 3

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

A group of the same species living in one area.

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

Different species living and interacting in one area.

Question 4

What is a habitat?

Answer 4

The physical place where an organism lives.

Question 5

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 5

All living and non-living things in an area.

Question 6

What is a biome?

Answer 6

A large region with similar climate and life forms.

Question 7

What is the biosphere?

Answer 7

All areas of Earth where life exists.

Question 8

What is a niche?

Answer 8

The function a species offers to its environment

Question 9

What are community interactions?

Answer 9

Ways species affect each other (e.g., predation, parasitism).

Question 10

What is co-evolution?

Answer 10

Two species evolve in response to each other (e.g., flower and pollinator).

Question 11

What is predation?

Answer 11

One organism eats another.

Question 12

How do organisms protect from predators?

Answer 12

Camouflage, mimicry, warning colors.

Question 13

What is adaptive coloration?

Answer 13

Color helps blend into environment.

Question 14

What is aposematic coloration?

Answer 14

Bright colors warn of danger/toxins.

Question 15

What are two types of mimicry?

Answer 15

Batesian: Harmless mimics harmful

Müllerian: Two harmful species resemble each other

Question 16

What is parasitism?

Answer 16

One benefits, one is harmed.

Question 17

What is interspecific vs. intraspecific competition?

Answer 17

Interspecific = between species; Intraspecific = within one species.

Question 18

What is Gause’s Principle?

Answer 18

No two species can occupy the same niche — one will outcompete the other.

Question 19

What’s the difference between fundamental and realized niche?

Answer 19

Fundamental = potential role; Realized = actual role due to competition.

Question 20

What is symbiosis?

Answer 20

Close long-term relationship between species.

Question 21

What is mutualism?

Answer 21

Both species benefit.

Question 22

What is commensalism?

Answer 22

One benefits, the other is unaffected.

Question 23

What is succession?

Answer 23

Changes in a community over time.

Question 24

What is primary succession?

Answer 24

Starts from bare rock (no soil).

Question 25

What is secondary succession?

Answer 25

Starts where soil already exists.

Question 26

What is a food chain?

Answer 26

A linear path of energy through organisms.

Question 27

What is a food web?

Answer 27

All interconnected food chains in a community.

Question 28

What is primary production?

Answer 28

Energy made by producers from sunlight.

Question 29

What is secondary production?

Answer 29

Energy stored in consumers (eating others).

Question 30

What is net vs. gross production?

Answer 30

Gross: total energy captured Net: energy left after producers use some

Question 31

How does energy flow in ecosystems?

Answer 31

From sun → producers → consumers → decomposers

Question 32

What is energy transfer efficiency?

Answer 32

About 10% of energy moves to the next level.

Question 33

What are trophic levels?

Answer 33

Steps in a food chain (e.g., producers, herbivores, predators)

Question 34

Marine example of trophic levels?

Answer 34

Algae → zooplankton → small fish → shark

Question 35

What is top-down control?

Answer 35

Top predators control the ecosystem.

Question 36

What is bottom-up control?

Answer 36

Resources (nutrients, plants) control the ecosystem.

Question 37

How can humans affect ecosystems?

Answer 37

Pollution, habitat loss, overfishing, climate change.

Question 38

What is biomagnification?

Answer 38

Toxins build up more in higher-level predators.

Question 39

What are biogeochemical cycles?

Answer 39

Movement of elements like carbon and nitrogen through Earth.

Question 40

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 40

Carbon moves through air, plants, animals, and the ground.

Question 41

What is the nitrogen cycle?

Answer 41

Nitrogen moves through the air, soil, and organisms.

Question 42

What causes global warming?

Answer 42

Greenhouse gases like CO₂ trap heat in the atmosphere.

Question 43

What are consequences of global warming?

Answer 43

Melting ice, rising seas, extreme weather, loss of biodiversity.

Question 43

What is population ecology?

Answer 43

Study of how populations grow and change.

Question 44

What is natality?

Answer 44

Birth rate.

Question 45

What is mortality?

Answer 45

Death rate.

Question 46

What is exponential growth?

Answer 46

Fast, unlimited population increase.

Question 47

What is carrying capacity?

Answer 47

The max population an environment can support.

Question 48

How does carrying capacity affect growth rate?

Answer 48

Growth slows as it gets closer to capacity.

Question 49

What are r-strategists?

Answer 49

Reproduce fast, many offspring (e.g., bacteria).

Question 50

What are K-strategists?

Answer 50

Few offspring, more care (e.g., humans, elephants).

Question 51

What are the three survivorship curves?

Answer 51

Type I: Most die old (humans) Type II: Steady death rate (birds) Type III: Most die young (frogs, insects)

Question 52

How has human population grown in 350 years?

Answer 52

Exploded due to medicine, farming, tech.

Question 53

What is climate change?

Answer 53

Long-term change in Earth’s climate patterns.