Ecology (Critter Game) Exam Review

We have had quite a few scenarios in this game. Each scenario was content in the ecology unit and now we can see
each one and use it to prepare for our exam.
Vocabulary:
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Abiotic
Autotroph
Biogeochemical cycle
Biomass
Biome
Biosphere
Biotic factor
Carbon fixation
Carnivore
Carrying capacity
Chemosynthesis
Commensalism
Community
Consumer
Decomposer
Demography
Density-dependent
limiting factor

18. Density-independent
limiting factor
19. Detritivore
20. Ecology
21. Ecosystems
22. Exponential Growth
23. Feedback loop
24. Food Chain
25. Food Web
26. Herbivore
27. Heterotroph
28. Immigration, emigration
29. Limiting nutrient
30. Logistical growth
31. Mutualism
32. Niche
33. Omnivore
34. Parasitism

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Photosynthesis
Population
Producer
Predation
Primary Consumer
Primary ecology
succession
Secondary Consumer
Secondary ecology
succession
Species
Sustainability
Symbiosis
Tertiary Consumer
Trophic level

Concepts and questions:

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What are biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

What is the differences between: species, population, community, and biome?
How do bees, or lack thereof, affect all types of biomes?
Define: producer, consumer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, herbivore,
omnivore, and carnivore, detritivore
What are the effects of an overpopulation of species?
o Producer
o Omnivore
o Herbivore
o Carnivore
What does a sustainable environment mean? Carrying capacity?
How easy/difficult is it to maintain a sustainable ecosystem? Why?
What are the differences in energy required to sustain producers and consumers?
o How much energy, in the form of food, does it take for each level of species to survive?
Producer
Tertiary Consumer
Primary Consumer
Detritivore
Secondary Consumer
o What is a trophic level? What level do you find humans? What level do you find grass?
o Ecological Pyramids (what happens to the energy levels when moving up the pyramids)
What is an energy pyramid? Draw an Example
Biomass pyramid
Pyramid of numbers
How does a carbon atom flow through a system starting with carbon dioxide, moving through the
levels of organisms, all the way to detritivores?

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o Photosynthesis: detailed explanation of the entire process

o Cellular Respiration: detailed explanation of the entire process
o How does cellular respiration help build muscles?
o What is aerobic and anaerobic respiration
How does energy flow through a system starting with the Sun, moving through the levels of
organisms, all the way to detritivores?
o Photosynthesis: detailed explanation of the entire process
o Cellular Respiration: detailed explanation of the entire process
Review and DRAW the carbon cycle, energy and carbon through a system starting with the
atmosphere, producer, herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, detritivore, atmosphere.
How does the nitrogen and the phosphorus cycle work through the system?
o Detailed explanations
How can climate changes affect all these systems above?
o What is the differences between climate and weather?
What were some of the unintended consequences of introducing a new species into an ecosystem?
o Plants, animals, or humans
How are all the different ecosystems connected? How do the effects of one ecosystem effect other
ecosystems?
What are 5 major interactions between species (relationships), define and explain them.
o What is the difference between competition and symbiosis?
o What are the types of symbiosis?
How can natural disasters affect all biomes?
o Flood
o Mass wasting
o Volcanic Events
(landslides)
Feeding Relationships
o Energy flows in ____ direction or inorganic compounds to _______(producers) and then to
heterotrophs. The relationships between producers and consumers connect organisms into
feeding networks based on who eats whom?
Explain why a limiting nutrient is so important to ecosystems
What are some unintended consequences when brining in a new species: plant, animal, or human?
What are tropic levels?
What is a feedback loop?
What factors lead to rapid population growth in an ecosystem?
What are examples of density-independent factors and HOW do they limit population growth?
What are examples of density-dependent factors and HOW do they limit population growth?
What is the difference between immigration and emigration? Why is it important to know these?
Be able to IDENTIFY, APPLY, AND DRAW conclusions from all the information covered in the games.