Question

ecology study guide

1. label each as abiotic or biotic:

a. acid rain ______
b. sunlight ______
c. prey ______
d. invasive species ______
the following picture represents a food web:
(image of a food web with organisms like grass, grasshopper, mouse, rabbit, lizard, snake, hawk)
name the organisms that will be directly affected if the following organisms are removed:
a. rabbit ______________________
b. snake ______________________
c. lizard ______________________

1. rank the following from largest to smallest and give a definition:

a. biosphere: ____________________ rank __
b. ecosystem: ____________________ rank __
c. individual: ____________________ rank __
d. population: ____________________ rank __

1. rank the following biomes in order from highest latitude to lowest latitude: (lowest latitude being the equator)

a. taiga ________
b. desert ________
c. tundra ________
d. grasslands ________
e. temperate forest ______
f. tropical rainforest ______

Answer:

Part 1: Label Abiotic or Biotic

Step 1: Recall Definitions

• Abiotic: Non - living components of an ecosystem (e.g., climate, water, sunlight, chemicals).
• Biotic: Living or once - living components (e.g., plants, animals, bacteria, dead organisms).

Step 2: Classify Each Item

• a. Acid Rain: It is a non - living component (a type of precipitation with chemical components), so Abiotic.
• b. Sunlight: A non - living energy source, so Abiotic.
• c. Prey: Prey are living organisms (animals), so Biotic.
• d. Invasive Species: These are living organisms (plants/animals), so Biotic.

Part 2: Food Web Impact

Step 1: Analyze Rabbit’s Role

The rabbit is a prey for the hawk (from the food web). Also, it eats grass (producers). If the rabbit is removed, the hawk (loses a food source) and the grass (may overgrow as rabbit is a consumer) will be directly affected.

Step 2: Analyze Snake’s Role

The snake is a prey for the hawk and a predator of the mouse. If the snake is removed, the hawk (loses a food source) and the mouse (population may increase as snake is a predator) will be directly affected.

Step 3: Analyze Lizard’s Role

The lizard is a prey for the hawk and a predator of the grasshopper. If the lizard is removed, the hawk (loses a food source) and the grasshopper (population may increase as lizard is a predator) will be directly affected.

Part 3: Rank Biological Levels (Largest to Smallest)

Step 1: Recall Definitions

• Biosphere: The global sum of all ecosystems, including all living things and their environments.
• Ecosystem: A community of living organisms plus their non - living environment (e.g., a forest with trees, animals, soil, water).
• Population: A group of individuals of the same species in a given area (e.g., all rabbits in a forest).
• Individual: A single living organism (e.g., one rabbit).

Step 2: Determine Ranks

• Biosphere: Largest (encompasses all ecosystems), so Rank = 1.
• Ecosystem: Smaller than biosphere (a local area with biotic and abiotic components), so Rank = 2.
• Population: Smaller than ecosystem (a group of one species), so Rank = 3.
• Individual: Smallest (one organism), so Rank = 4.

Part 4: Rank Biomes by Latitude (Highest to Lowest)

Step 1: Recall Latitude and Biome Distribution

• Tundra: Found at the highest latitudes (cold, Arctic regions).
• Taiga (Boreal Forest): Next highest, just south of tundra.
• Temperate Forest: Mid - latitudes.
• Grasslands: Mid - to lower mid - latitudes.
• Desert: Can be at various latitudes, but generally lower than tundra/taiga/temperate forest.
• Tropical Rainforest: Lowest latitude (near equator).

Step 2: Assign Ranks (1 = Highest Latitude, 6 = Lowest)

• a. Taiga: Rank = 2
• b. Desert: Rank = 5
• c. Tundra: Rank = 1
• d. Grasslands: Rank = 4
• e. Temperate Forest: Rank = 3
• f. Tropical Rainforest: Rank = 6

Final Answers (Summarized)

1. Abiotic/Biotic:

a. Acid Rain - Abiotic
b. Sunlight - Abiotic
c. Prey - Biotic
d. Invasive Species - Biotic

1. Food Web Impact:

a. Rabbit removal: Hawk, Grass
b. Snake removal: Hawk, Mouse
c. Lizard removal: Hawk, Grasshopper

1. Biological Levels (Largest to Smallest):

a. Biosphere - Rank 1
b. Ecosystem - Rank 2
c. Individual - Rank 4
d. Population - Rank 3

1. Biome Latitude (Highest to Lowest):

c. Tundra (1), a. Taiga (2), e. Temperate Forest (3), d. Grasslands (4), b. Desert (5), f. Tropical Rainforest (6)