1. Ecology Study guide

2. Decomposer
An organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal wastes.

3. Producer
An organism that produces its own food. Examples include algae and grass

4. Omnivore
An organism that eats both producers and animals. For example: a bat and a human

5. Herbivore
An organism that only eats producers

6. Carnivore
An organism that eats animals. For example – an Anteater and a lion

7. Carrying Capacity
The size (number) of a population of species an ecosystem can support.

8. Population
The total number of one species in a given ecosystem.

9. Limiting factors
A resource that is so scarce that it limits the size of a population that uses it.
Examples include: food resources, land area, amount of water, etc.

10. Food web
A diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem

11. 2.Give an example of the following:
Producer: Flower, grass, tree, algae
Primary consumer: (Always a herbivore or omnivore) Fish, deer, bird
Secondary Consumer: Snake, honey badger, fox
Tertiary: Hawk, Human, Lion

12. 3.What does the sun supply to an ecosystem?
Energy

13. 4.What do plants use the sun’s energy to make through the process of photosynthesis?
Glucose (sugar/food)

14. 5. A meadow experiences a sudden, unusual freeze
5. A meadow experiences a sudden, unusual freeze. Many plants and animals die as a result. The freeze is considered a ______________ _________________.
Limiting factor

15. 6A. Bacteria in human’s intestines
6A. Bacteria in human’s intestines. The bacteria help digest food and they produce vitamins that the body needs but cannot manufacture. The bacteria receive the nutrients they need. This is an example of _______________________.
Mutualism

16. 6b. A deer population and a rabbit population with limited resources experience _____________________________.
Competition

17. C). Mistletoe is a plant that feeds on the branches of oak trees
C) Mistletoe is a plant that feeds on the branches of oak trees. Mistletoe takes away from the nourishment of the trees. This is an example of ____________________.
Parasitism

18. D). Tapeworms living inside of the digestive system of humans
D) Tapeworms living inside of the digestive system of humans. This causes humans to not receive proper nutrition and become ill. This is an example of _______________________.
Parasitism

19. E). Cattle egrets (birds)feed near grazing cattle
E) Cattle egrets (birds)feed near grazing cattle. The cattle eat the grass which makes the insects fly. The birds eat the insects while the cattle (cows) are not harmed. This is an example of _________________________
Commensalism

20. F). A tick on a puppy. What is the tick’s relationship to the puppy
Parasitic

21. G). The relationship between a prairie dog and a hungry coyote
Predator - prey

22. 7. What would happen if there were no fungi or bacteria (decomposers) on Earth?
The Earth would have a lot of dead animals and trash that is not decomposing. Nutrients also would not be recycled

23. Use the chart below to answer the following questions (8-11)
8. Which of the living things in this food chain is a producer?
Flower
9. Which is a secondary consumer (look closely)?
Snake 
10. Which organism is a herbivore?
Grasshopper

24. 11. About how much energy is passed on to each successive level in an energy pyramid? _______________________________.
10 percent

25. 12. Using the diagram to the right, the bottom of the energy pyramid is made up of which kind of organisms?
Producers ?

26. Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, and Biosphere
13. From smallest to largest, correctly list the levels of environmental organization
Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, and Biosphere

27. 14. Give three examples of abiotic parts of an ecosystem (non-living):
Air, rocks, soil, sunlight, and water

28. 15. What are biotic factors in an environment?
Animals, plants, algae, fungus, bacteria

29. 16.The graph to the left shows a number of seaside sparrows and little marsh crabs in an estuary habitat over a five year period. In which year was there a disease that killed off most of the cord grass, a source of food and shelter for animals in the marsh?
Year 2

30. 17. Why do animals not obtain nitrogen from the air?
Nitrogen in the air is in a form animals can not use. Therefore, we have to get the Nitrogen from plants and animals that we eat.

31. 18. What process that plants undergo removes carbon from the atmosphere? _______________________________
Photosynthesis

32. 19. Which process occurs when water vapor passes through the leaves of plants? ____________________________
Transpiration

33. 20. What happens to the carbon in an organism’s body when the organism dies?
Decomposers break down the carbon in the organisms body and returns that carbon back to the environment

34. 21. Which will MOST LIKELY happen to a population of grasshoppers in an ecosystem where a chemical kills all of the grass?
A. The population will decrease because they lost a food supply

35. 22.Circle the organism that would best fit into the food web on the left
Owl

36. 23. Where does the grass ultimately receive all its energy from?
The sun

37. 24. True or false: The relationship between the snake and mouse can be described as a predator prey relationship.
TRUE

38. 25. Parasite have relationships with their
Hosts