APES Unit 1 - 5 Review

What is symbiosis?

The close and long-term interaction between two species in an ecosystem.

What are the four types of symbiotic relationships?

Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and competition.

What is mutualism?

An interaction between two species where both benefit.

Give an example of mutualism.

Gut bacteria and humans.

What is commensalism?

An interaction where one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited.

Give an example of commensalism.

Cattle egrets feeding on flies around livestock.

What is parasitism?

An interaction where one species benefits at the expense of another.

Give an example of parasitism.

Humans and mosquitoes.

Define competition in ecosystems.

A struggle between species for limited resources.

What is resource partitioning?

When species use available resources in different ways or at different times to reduce competition.

What are biomes?

Regions defined by distinct climate, plants, and animals.

List the nine terrestrial biomes you should know.

Taiga, temperate rainforests, temperate seasonal forests, tropical rainforests, shrubland, temperate grassland, savanna, desert, tundra.

Describe the taiga biome.

Cold, fairly dry in winter, wet in summer, with distinct seasons.

Describe temperate rainforests.

Receive ample rainfall, have low summer rainfall, and no clear location.

What characterizes temperate seasonal forests?

Significant rainfall and varying temperatures with deciduous trees.

Where is the tropical rainforest located?

Around the equator with constant temperatures and high precipitation.

What is shrubland?

A hot desert-like environment with low precipitation.

Describe temperate grasslands.

Found in the U.S. and Russia with temperature variations and modest precipitation.

Define savanna.

Desert environment with high winter precipitation and very low summer precipitation.

What types of deserts exist?

Temperate, cold, and tropical deserts.

Describe the tundra biome.

Similar to a desert with low precipitation and variable temperatures.

What are the two main types of aquatic biomes?

Freshwater and saltwater.

List three main parts of the open ocean.

Euphotic zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone.

What is the euphotic zone characterized by?

Phytoplankton, low nutrient levels, and high levels of dissolved oxygen.

What are coral reefs?

Biodiverse ecosystems often called the 'tropical rainforests of the ocean.'

Define estuaries.

Where rivers meet the sea, combining saltwater and freshwater.

What is the littoral zone?

Shallow water near shore with rooted plants and high biodiversity.

What is the limnetic zone?

Open sunlight area away from the shore, main photosynthetic zone.

Define profundal zone.

Deep water, too dark for photosynthesis, with low oxygen levels.

What is the benthic zone?

Bottom layer of a body of water with decomposers and detritus feeders.

Differentiate between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes.

Oligotrophic lakes have low nutrients and clear water; eutrophic lakes have high nutrients and murky water.

List the three aquatic life zones in freshwater.

Source zone, transition zone, floodplain zone.

What is a food web?

A model of interlocking food chains depicting energy flow through organisms.

Define a food chain. Give an example.

A linear sequence of organisms depicting energy flow; e.g. sun ➝ grass ➝ caterpillar ➝ frog ➝ snake ➝ eagle.

What is the 10% rule in ecology?

Only 10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

What is primary productivity?

Rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds by photosynthesis.

What is gross primary productivity (GPP)?

Total solar energy captured by producers via photosynthesis over time.

Define net primary productivity (NPP).

Energy captured by producers minus the energy they respire.

Describe photosynthesis in simple terms.

Process where producers convert CO2 and water into glucose and oxygen using solar energy.

What is respiration?

Process where consumers convert glucose and oxygen back into CO2 and water to release energy.

What are the four major steps of the carbon cycle?

Photosynthesis, decomposition, respiration, combustion.

Define nitrogen fixation.

The conversion of N2 gas into ammonia by bacteria.

What is nitrification?

The process of converting ammonia into nitrate via bacteria.

Explain assimilation in the nitrogen cycle.

When organisms take in nitrate or ammonia through roots or food.

What is denitrification?

Conversion of nitrate back to gaseous nitrogen by anaerobic bacteria.

Describe the phosphorus cycle.

Movement of phosphorus through the environment, with no gaseous form.

What is the main reservoir for the phosphorus cycle?

Sedimentary rocks.

Define the hydrologic cycle.

Movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.

What process follows evaporation in the water cycle?

Condensation.

What is aquifer?

Layer of water-bearing rock that holds groundwater.

What is biodiversity?

Variety of species in a given ecosystem.

Define genetic biodiversity.

The variety of genes within a population.

What are specialist and generalist species?

Specialists have narrow niches; generalists have broad niches.

What are keystone species?

Species that have a large impact on other species within an ecosystem.

Explain what biodiversity contributes to ecosystems.

Increases productivity and stability/sustainability.

What is an ecosystem service?

A benefit provided by ecosystems that enhances human welfare.

Differentiate provisioning and regulating services.

Provisioning services are extractable resources; regulating services moderate natural phenomena.

What is island biogeography?

Study of ecological relationships and distributions of organisms on islands.

Define ecological tolerance.

The range of conditions an organism can endure.

What is the law of tolerance?

Organisms have a range of tolerances for abiotic factors.

Explain natural selection.

Survival and reproduction of individuals with certain advantageous traits.

What is genetic resistance?

Ability of some individuals in a population to survive exposure to harmful substances.

Describe types of evolution through natural selection.

Speciation, geographic isolation, and reproductive isolation.

Define extinction.

The process when an entire species ceases to exist.

What is ecological succession?

Process of change in species composition in an ecosystem over time.

Differentiate primary and secondary succession.

Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas; secondary occurs in disturbed areas.

What are K-selected species?

Species that live in stable environments, have fewer offspring, and mature slowly.

What are R-selected species?

Species that have short lifespans, many offspring, and mature early.

Explain survivorship curves.

Graphs showing relative survival rates of a cohort of individuals over time.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum population size an environment can sustain.

What is an age structure diagram?

A chart that represents the distribution of age groups in a population.

What does a rapidly expanding age structure indicate?

A higher number of children compared to adults, typical in less developed countries.

Define total fertility rate (TFR).

The average number of children a woman will have during her lifetime.

What impacts birth rates?

Factors like education, access to healthcare, and socio-economic status.

Explain demographic transition.

The shift from high birth and death rates to lower rates as a country develops.

What is the role of plate tectonics?

Movement of the Earth's plates causing geological phenomena.

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.

What does soil formation involve?

Weathering of rocks and accumulation of organic material.

What is the difference between physical and chemical weathering?

Physical weathering is mechanical breakdown; chemical weathering involves chemical changes.

What are the horizons of soil?

Layers of soil including O, A, E, B, C, and R horizons.

What are the three types of soil?

Sandy, clayey, and silty soils.

What is the troposphere?

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where weather occurs.

Define global wind patterns.

Air circulation patterns influenced by temperature and pressure differences.

What is a watershed?

Area of land that channels rainfall to a common stream, river, or lake.

Explain solar radiation's effect on seasons.

The tilt of Earth's axis causes varying solar energy distribution throughout the year.

What is El Niño?

A climate pattern characterized by warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

What are the effects of overfishing?

Collapse of fish populations and unsustainable fishing practices.

Define mining impacts on the environment.

Soil erosion, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and habitat destruction.

What are the effects of urbanization?

Changes in land use, pollution, urban sprawl, and socioeconomic disparities.

What does ecological footprint measure?

How much land and resources an individual consumes and wastes.

Explain sustainability in resource use.

Using resources in a way that meets current needs without compromising future generations.

What are strategies for managing urban runoff?

Mitigation strategies such as permeable pavement and increased vegetation.

What is integrated pest management?

A sustainable approach to managing pests by considering environmental health.

Define sustainable agriculture methods.

Practices that aim to produce food without harming the environment.

What is aquaculture?

Raising fish and other aquatic organisms in controlled environments.

What is sustainable forestry?

Managing forests to meet current and future resource needs.