Mod 7

  • Define the terms “Population”, “Community”, “Habitat”, and “Ecological niche” and explain how these terms relate to each other.

  • Explain the concept of limiting resources and its relationship to a population.

  • What are the three methods in which different species are able to interact? Give an example of each category of interaction.

  • Explain the concept of competition and how it relates to individuals and populations.

  • What are the three categories of symbiosis and give an example of each?

  • Explain the concept of predatory interactions between species and how it relates to individuals and populations.

  • What is an ecosystem and what are its components?

  • How do trophic levels and the energy pyramid relate?

  • How does the carbon cycle include both primary producers and consumers?

  • Compare some similarities and differences between the Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, and Phosphorus Cycle.

  • Describe the major subdivisions of the marine environment discussed in the lecture notes.

  • Define the intertidal zone and explain how it is different from other marine environments.

  • Compare Epifauna, Infauna, and Meiofauna.

  • What are some of the challenges for organisms living in the intertidal?

  • Compare and contrast the terms euryhaline and stenohaline. Where would you find organisms in these two categories?

  • What is meant by “Zonation” of the intertidal zone and what causes this characteristics of this marine environment?

  • How does the concept of ecological succession and climax communities relate to the intertidal zone?

  • What is a keystone species and what role does it play in an ecosystem?

  • In the intertidal, why is it that biological competition determines the lower limits of a species’ zonation, but physical factors determine the upper limits of that species’ distribution?

  • What are the typical sources of energy for the organisms living in the intertidal zone?

  • What is an estuary and what are some of the characteristics of this marine environment?

  • Why is there a salt wedge in an estuary?

  • What are some of the challenges that organisms experience living in estuaries?

  • Why do terrestrial plants produce much of the primary production in estuaries?

  • What are some of the different types of estuary settings?

  • What is the typical impact that humans have on estuaries?

  • What is Eutrophication and what are some of the possible consequences?