apes unit 1 2 3
Unit 1
1. Differentiate between gross primary production and net primary production.
Gross primary production is the total energy plants produce through photosynthesis. Net primary production is the energy that is left over after plants use some for growth and survival. (NPP = GPP - respiration)
2. Explain the 10% rule.
10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level in a food chain; the rest of it is lost as heat or waste.
3. Differentiate between a food chain and a food web.
A food chain is a single path showing energy (grass -> rabbit -> fox). A food web is multiple interconnected food chains showing complex energy flow.
4. Explain the competitive exclusion principle and resource partitioning.
The competitive exclusion principle is when two species cannot occupy the same niche in a habitat. Resource partitioning is when species share resources by using them differently.
5. Describe the different types of symbiotic relationships.
Mutualism is when both organisms benefit (bees and flowers), commensalism is when one organism benefits while the other is unaffected (barnacles on whales), and parasitism is when one organism benefits and the other is harmed (ticks on animals).
6. Explain how biomes are differentiated from one another.
Biomes differ by climate, precipitation, and dominant vegetation.
7. Briefly describe each type of biome.
Tundra: Cold, no trees, permafrost.
Desert: Hot or cold, low rainfall.
Rainforest: Warm, lots of rain, high biodiversity.
Savanna: Grassland, scattered trees.
8. Describe the hydrologic, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
Hydrologic (Water): Evaporation → condensation → precipitation → infiltration.
Carbon: Photosynthesis absorbs CO2; combustion and respiration release it.
Nitrogen: Nitrogen fixation → assimilation → ammonification → nitrification → denitrification.
Phosphorus: Weathering releases phosphorus into soil → absorbed by plants → passed through food chains → returns via decomposition.
9. Define: combustion, photosynthesis, decomposition, carbon sink, nitrogen fixation, assimilation, denitrification, infiltration, and transpiration.
Combustion: Burning of fuel for energy.
Photosynthesis: Plants turn sunlight into glucose and oxygen.
Decomposition: Breaking down dead matter.
Carbon Sink: Stores carbon (e.g., forests, oceans).
Nitrogen Fixation: Converts nitrogen gas into usable forms (e.g., ammonia).
Assimilation: Plants absorb nutrients.
Denitrification: Bacteria convert nitrates back to nitrogen gas.
Infiltration: Water soaking into soil.
Transpiration: Water evaporates from plants.
Unit 2
10. Identify and describe the different types of biodiversity.
Genetic: differences in DNA within a species (key for survival and adaptation)
Species: variety of species in an ecosystem
Ecosystem: variety of ecosystems within a region
Functional: variety of roles species play in an ecosystem (producers, decomposers)
11. Describe the four types of ecosystem services.
Provisioning: resources like food, water, timber (fish from oceans, water from rivers, timber from forests)
Regulating: climate control, flood prevention (wetlands filter pollutants, trees absorb CO2)
12. Differentiate between primary and secondary succession.
Primary succession happens in areas with no soil (volcanic rock) and secondary succession happens where soil exists but life was disturbed (after a forest fire).
13. Describe the concept of island biogeography.
Islands closer to the mainland and larger in size have more biodiversity because species can more easily migrate and survive.
14. Explain what the bottleneck effect is.
A sharp reduction in population size due to events like natural disasters, leading to reduced genetic diversity.
15.Define: keystone species, indicator species, pioneer species.
Keystone Species: species that have a huge impact on their ecosystem (wolves in yellowstone)
Indicator Species: species that show the health of an environment (frogs sensitive to pollution)
Pioner Species: first species to colonize disturbed areas (lichens on bare rock)
16. Explain the difference between density dependent and density independent limiting factors.
Density Dependent: effects increase as population (disease, competition)
Density Independent: affect population regardless of size (natural disasters)
17. Differentiate between specialist and generalist species.
Specialist: narrow niche, specific needs (koalas eat only eucalyptus)
Generalist: broad niche, adaptable (rats can live anywhere)
18. Differentiate between species richness and species evenness.
Species richness is the number of species in an area and species evenness is how evenly individuals are distributed among species.
Unit 3
19. Describe the difference between k-selected and r-selected species.
K-selected: few offspring, high parental care, longer life-spans (elephants, humans)
R-selected: many offspring, little parental care, short life-spans (frogs, insects)
20. Review survivorship curves. Know types I, II, and III.
Type 1: low early death rates, most die old (humans)
Type 2: steady death rates (birds)
Type 3: high early death rates, few survivors live long (sea turtles)
21. Calculate growth rate and birth rate.
Growth Rate: ((births - deaths)/total population) x 100
Birth Rate: (number of births/total population) x 1000
22. Use the rule of 70 for population doubling times.
Doubling time = 70/growth rate %
23. Be able to differentiate between different shapes of age structure diagrams.
Pyramid Shape: rapid growth
Column Shape: stable growth
Inverted Pyramid: declining population
24. Understand demographic transition models.
High birth/death rates -> death rates drop -> birth rates drop -> stabilized population
25. Define: carrying capacity, fecundity, total fertility rate,
Carrying Capacity: max population environment can support
Fecundity: ability to reproduce
Total Fertility Rate: average number of children per woman