Topic II. the Living World

Topic II. The Living World

A. Ecosystem Structure (Biological populations and communities; ecological niches; interactions among species; keystone species; species diversity and edge effects; major terrestrial and aquatic biomes)  Compare and contrast the major types of species interactions (competition, predation, symbiosis)  Characterize feeding relationships and energy flow, using them to construct trophic levels  Understand and apply the 10% Rule o Be sure that you can determine what 10% of an amount is  Distinguish characteristics of a keystone species  Characterize the process of succession and the debate over the nature of communities o identify and explain the primary versus secondary succession o understand that primary succession is very slow  Perceive and predict the potential impacts of invasive species in communities  Explain the goals and methods of ecological restoration  Describe and illustrate the biomes of the world o identify major characteristics, autotrophs, heterotrophs, and locals in the world B. Energy Flow (Photosynthesis and cellular respiration; food webs and trophic levels; ecological pyramids)  Explain the fundamentals of environmental chemistry and apply them to real-world situations  Describe the molecular building blocks of living organisms  Differentiate among the types of energy and recite the basics of energy flow (laws of thermodynamics) o know and apply the two laws of thermodynamics  Distinguish photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and chemosynthesis, and summarize their importance to living things  know the chemical formulas for each of these processes  Describe the nature of environmental systems  Characterize feeding relationships and energy flow, using them to construct trophic levels  Understand and apply the 10% Rule o Be sure that you can determine what 10% of an amount is

C. Ecosystem Diversity (Biodiversity; natural selection; evolution; ecosystem services)  Explain and evaluate several hypothesis that explain the origins of life  Describe what the fossil record has shown scientists  Explain the process of natural selection  Cite evidence for natural selection  Compare allopatric and sympatric speciation  Describe the three major types of selection (directional, stabilizing, & disruptive) o Identify and understand the graphs that result from each of these types of selection  Contrast background extinction rates with periods of mass extinction  Discuss reasons for species extinction and mass extinction events  Identify the mass extinction events that have occurred on Earth  List the levels of ecological organization o I am talking about the mnemonic "Old People Can't Eat Buttered Biscuits"  Outline the characteristics of populations that help predict population growth  Compare logistical and exponential growth o Identify what is occuring at various stages in each graph; be sure you understand the concept of overshoot  Explain how limiting factors and carrying capacity impact population growth  Compare density-independent and density-dependent limiting factors  Describe types of survivorship o Come up with good examples of each type (their are three) so that you remember them  Use the growth rate formula to determine a population's growth rate  Compare K-selected species to R-selected species, give examples and characteristics of each group  Describe the ways that evolution influences biodiversity  Explain the Theory of Island Biogeography  Characterize the scope of biodiversity on Earth (species, genetic, and ecosystem)  Evaluate the primary causes of biodiversity loss o Explain why some organisms are more prone to species loss than others  Describe the major benefits of biodiversity (be sure to know specific examples of each)  Describe the field of conservation biology  Determine Population Density D. Natural Ecosystem Change (Climate shifts; species movement; ecological succession)  Characterize the process of succession and the debate over the nature of communities o identify and explain the primary versus secondary succession o understand that primary succession is very slow E. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles (Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, water, conservation of matter)  Compare and contrast how carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur, and water cycle through the environment o identify the major processes involved in these cycles (denitrification, ammonification, transpiration, etc)  Compare the various cycles (know which cycle doesn't involve the atmosphere, which goes very slowly, etc)

Basic Stuff Photosynthesis First Law of Thermodynamics Cellular Respiration Second Law of Thermodynamics pH

Cycles Homeostasis Phosphorus cycle Denitrifying Bacteria Hydrologic Cycle Nutrient Pool Nitrogen Cycle Reservoir Sulfur Cycle Source Carbon Cycle Sink

Natural Selection & Community Generalist Fundamental Niche Ecology Specialist Realized Niche Adaptation Genetic Diversity Mass Extinction Disruptive Selection Artificial selection Background Extinction Directional Selection Competition Limiting Factors Stabilizing Selection Population Exponential Growth Speciation Community Logistical Growth Natural Selection Primary Succession J-curve Allopatric Speciation Secondary Succession Pioneer Species S-curve Sympatric Speciation Niche Population Momentum Overshoot Resistance Endemic Resource Partitioning Resilience Keystone species Ecotone Herbivore Trophic levels Resource Partitioning Producer Carrying Capacity Competitive Inhibition Autotroph Survivorship Symbiosis Predation Habitat Mutualism Food Chain Latitudinal Gradient Parasitism Food Web Nutrients vs. energy Commensalism Primary Consumer 10% Rule Density-dependent factors 2nd consumer Divergent Evolution Density-independent factors Tertiary Consumer Dynamic Equilibrium K-selected species Intraspecific Competition Biotic R-selected species Interspecific Competition Abiotic Ecosystem Restoration ecology Ecological Restoration

Biomes Desert Hydrothermal Vents Tropical Rainforest Tundra Kelp Forest Boreal forest Temperate Deciduous Forest Coral Reef Arctic Tundra Chaparral Intertidal Zone Savanna Freshwater Marsh Salt Marsh Tropical Dry Forest Swamp Mangrove Forest Temperate Forest Bog Estuaries Tropical Rainforest Open Ocean

Biodiversity Non-native Species Theory of Equilibrium of Island Biodiversity Species diversity Biogeography Conservation Biology Red list HIPPO Biodiversity Hot Spots Ecological Diversity Threatened Invasive Species