The Living WorldThe Inhabitants of Planet Earth and their Relationships

Unit 2

Cycles in Nature

1. What are “biogeochemical cycles”?

2. Describe the differences between”• Reservoir

• Exchange Pool

• Residency Time

3. How to biogeochemical cycles relate to the Law of Conservation of Matter?

Water Cycle

1. Make sure you know how water cycles through the planet.

2. What are the major reservoirs of water?

Carbon Cycle

1. What is the function of carbon in plants?

2. Naturally, how does carbon get into the atmosphere?

3. Man-made, how does carbon get into the atmosphere?

4. Where are the 3 reservoirs of carbon?

Nitrogen Cycle

1. What is the composition of air?

2. What is the function of nitrogen in plants?

3. I know the nitrogen cycle is crazy. Memorize the steps anyway• Nitrogen Fixation• Ammonification• Nitrification• Assimilation• Denitrification

Phosphorus Cycle

1. Where is the largest reservoir of phosphorus?

2. What is the function of phosphorus in plants?

3. Why is phosphorus a limiting factor (what is a limiting factor?)?

4. Phosphorus (phosphates) and Nitrogen (nitrates) are added as fertilizer to soil. If they run off into ponds, the can cause eutrophication. What does that mean?

Sulfur Cycle

1. What is the purpose of sulfur in plant?

2. Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are major pollutants that case acid rain. How does it get into the atmosphere?

Biomes1. What are the 2 main components

that distinguish different biomes?

2. What is the Law of Tolerance?

3. What is the Law of Minimum?

4. What is the benefit of having a large amount of ecosystem diversity?

5. What is an ecotone?

Food Chains and Food Webs1. Where do the following obtain their food

energy?• Autotrophs• Heterotrophs

2. Producers impact Primary Productivity. What are the differences between:• Net Primary Productivity (NPP)• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

3. What biomes would have the greatest NPP? What would have the smallest NPP?

Food Chains and Trophic levels1. Know each consumer level

2. Where does the initial energy come from?

3. How much energy is passed to the next level?

4. What is the other energy (not passed) used for?

5. If you draw a food chain/web, what direction do the arrows point and what do they mean?

6. Why does the bottom-tier of the biomass pyramid need to be larger?

Biodiversity Loss1. Describe biodiversity

2. Describe the benefits of biodiversity• Maintain unique ecosystems• New medicines• Food Supply• Healthy wildlife population• Predator/prey relationships

3. Describe the main causes of biodiversity loss• Habitat Alteration• Invasive Species• Pollution• Over harvesting• Climate Change

Bioaccumulation/Biomagnification

1. What is the difference between:• Bioaccumulation

• Biomagnification

2. One of the major toxins that Biomagnify is Mercury.• Why are pregnant women asked to avoid

sushi?

• What can mercury poisoning do to children?

Evolution

1. What is a “species”?

2. What determines evolutionary fitness?

3. Describe natural selection.

4. Why are small populations more sensitive to genetic drift than larger/more diverse populations?

5. What is the difference between species that are:• Threatened• Endangered• Extinct

Relationships between species

1. Every specie in a community has a niche. What is a niche?

2. Describe the different relationships between species:• Competition

• competitive exclusion, Gause’s principle, resource partitioning

• Predation • how does it drive population size?

• Symbiotic Relationships • Mutualism, commensalism, paratism

Important Species1. What is a keystone species?

(Identify an example)

2. What is an indicator species? (Identify an example)

3. How do the following species relate:• Indigenous species• Invasive species

4. Why can invasive species become pests?

Ecological Succession and habitat fragmentation1. What is the difference between the following:

• Primary succession

• Secondary succession

2. What is the difference between the following:• Pioneer species

• Climax Community

3. What creates habitat fragmentation? What are issues with fragmentation?

4. Describe the edge effect