1. What is an introduced species? Define and give an example:
Species now found outside of their normal range. Ex: zebra mussel
2. What factors influence the survival of any introduced species? Name at least 3.
Adequate food, water and habitat; climate (temperature), competition, predators in new habitat
3. James, a boy from Kenya, spoke about the Nile Perch, and the results, or consequences (both intended and unintended) of introducing the species. Describe:
a. Three advantages of introducing Nile Perch into Lake Victoria:
MMore jobs, money, and fish (food)
b. Three disadvantages of introducing Nile Perch into Lake Victoria:
Loss of independent small businesses, wiped out smaller fish species (Cichlids), perch overpopulated, more competition, fewer kinds of fish, and wrecked the food chain, allowed algal blooms.
c. Knowing what we know now, if you had had the choice, would you have introduced the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria? Write about a trade-off (compare at least one advantage and at least one disadvantage to make that choice):
Make a choice: Yes or No. Use evidence from question to weigh advantages and disadvantages to support your choice. Ex: "No. Introducing the Nile Perch has wiped out many species of cichlids that used to control the algae population. While the Nile Perch has provided work and food to many people that otherwise wouldn't thrive, the Nile Perch has badly damaged the lake ecosystem beyond repair. It may not be sustainable. The Perch threatens to consume all other animal species in the lake. Even the Perch may not survive the uncontrolled growth of algae as the Perch turn on its own kind. The loss to nature outweighs the benefit to humans. "
4. What is Ecology? The study of relationships between living organisms & the physical environment.
5. What does classification show and what factors is classification based on? See p. E-19.
Grouping organisms based on relationships between similar organisms, based on genetic makeup and similar physical structures.
6. Classification -
• Fill in the blanks using the word bank, written clues, and diagram to put these Levels of Organization in correct order from most specific to most general.
A. Example: the 3 Domains contain 5 Kingdoms;
B. the Kingdoms contain 35 phyla, such as animals, plants, and fungi;
C. the phyla contain many _classes, such as Chordata;
D. the classes contain many _genus_, such as Homo;
E. the genus_ contain many _species, such as Sapiens.
7. What is a species? Define and give an example:
Organisms similar enough that they can breed together. (Species - level of biological classification just below genus or subgenus, made up of organisms or populations capable of interbreeding). Ex: homo sapiens; brown snake
8. Explain photosynthesis, including:
a. Who does it (which role)? Producers
b. Who does it (members of which kingdom)? Plants
c. What are the starting materials (inputs or reactants)? CO2, water, sunlight
d. What are the ending materials(outputs or products)? O2, sugar
9. What should you do if you no longer want your pet lizard or iguana: should you just release it into the park? Explain why or why not?
Don’t release it into the park; it could displace & kill native animals or
plants; it could spread disease; it could die a slow painful death. You could give iguana away. Ex: pythons in Florida kill native animals.
10. What is a population? Define and give an example of why a population can fluctuate:
Population is a group of the same species of organisms living in a specific location or habitat. Population could fluctuate (change over time in size, numbers, or other characteristics) from change in climate, disease or predator.
11. Why are phytoplankton important to us?
Base of ocean food chains; provide oxygen to our atmosphere.
12. We use line graphs to show changes in population over time because it shows continuing growth in a single variable. Examine these line graphs of Zebra Mussel Population in three lakes (found in activity 77 Ups and Downs).
Describe how the population of mussels changed over time in each of the lakes:
a. stayed level;
b. decrease, increase, decrease
c. dropped & stayed low.
d. In the following data table, what do the numbers show for the population?Year 1971 1972 1974 1976
Number of mussels/ m2 39 80 109 220
Number increased.
13. A) Where does energy for all living things come from? The sun
B) How is that energy passed from one organism to another? Producers use sunlight to make food. Then, consumers eat producers and other organisms to get energy.
C) How is the movement of energy shown on a food web? with arrows
14. What is a food web? Describe a food web. Then draw a food web, using plants, grasshopper, frog, mouse, and hawk.
A food web is a diagram that models the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
15. In the food web from question 14, if lots of rain falls in the spring, what happens to the:
a. Plants? They increase in number.
b. Grasshoppers that eat plants? They increase in number.
c. Frogs and mice that eat grasshoppers? They increase in number.
d. Hawks? They increase in number.
16. IN the food web from question 14, what if the hawks hatch several chicks and next year, when the hawk population has doubled, there is very little rain? They decrease in number.
17. IN the food web from question 14, what if the mice are wiped out by disease? What happens to the population of:
a) hawks? They decrease in number as there are fewer mice to eat.
b) Frogs? They decrease in number as the hawks have fewer mice to eat.
c) Grasshoppers? They increase in number as they have fewer predators (mice and frogs).
18. Explain how the role of producer is different from the role of consumer? Name 2 examples of each.
Producer uses the energy of sunlight to change CO2 and water into food. A consumer gets its energy by eating consumers or lower level consumers.
19. Explain how the role of decomposer is different from the role of consumer? Name 3 examples of decomposer. A consumer gets its energy by eating consumers or lower level consumers. Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste to get their energy, and help return dead organisms and waste for use by producers.
20. Name three differences between plants and animals.
Plants are usually producers, breathe out Oxygen, can not move themselves. Animals can move themselves, breathe out CO2, consume other animals for their energy.
21. Name three differences between plant cells and animal cells.
Plant cells have chloroplasts, cell walls, and vacuoles; animal cells don't.
22. What are biotic factors? Explain and give an example.
Biotic factors are living (biotic) characteristics of a habitat, such as predators and competitors.
23. Which of the following is NOT an abiotic factor affecting shellfish in Long Island Sound? (circle only 1)
a. A large increase in sea gulls.
b. Pesticide chemicals in the water ;
c. How much sunlight hits the water of the sound;
d. Composition of the floor of the Sound. Is it rocks, sand or mud?
24. What is a habitat?
The specific environment where an organism lives based on what the organism requires to survive
25. What is an ecosystem? Explain and give an example.
INTERACTION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES OF LIVING THINGS AND THE NONLIVING ENVIRONMENT
26. What is a biome? (see p. E-61). The most common type in the U.S. is deciduous forest. Explain and give an example.
A biome is a large region classified by the interaction of the living organisms, climate, and geographical features
27. What is the “carrying capacity” of an environment (such as a lake)?
Carrying capacity is how many organisms of a species can an ecosystem support? It depends on the resources available and abiotic factors, and may change over time.
28. Every day, a robin needs to eat 50-60 worms and must be able to drink or bathe in surface water, plus have access to a tree where she can put her nest at least 25 feet up, and this must all be contained within 1/4 square mile of territory, which usually provides enough worms for 6 robins. Worms and water are available only when the air temperature is over 40 degrees F.
a. Which of the underlined factors is biotic? __worm population, tree availability.
b. Which of the underlined factors are abiotic? surface water, territory, soil, air temperature
c. If the field where the robin hunts worms is 80% covered with a parking lot, would this:
........i) affect the carrying capacity of the robin's territory? _yes____
.......ii) Is this factor biotic or abiotic?_abiotic_
d. What if other worm-eating birds (owls, thrushes, warblers) or other robins move in to this robin's territory?
e. Is this factor biotic or abiotic? _biotic
