1. Write the equations for
photosynthesis and respiration. Where do plants receive their energy? Where to
animals receive their energy?
2. Is 100% of the solar
energy captured in plants transferred to the animals that eat them? Why or why
not?
3. What percentage of
incoming solar energy is captured by plants? What happens to the rest?
4. What elements are central
to all living organisms? Give 5 examples of elements and their use in living
organisms.
5. What is the definition of
a species? A population? An ecosystem?
6. What is primary
production?
7. Give an example of a 4
level food chain, beginning with an example of primary producers and ending
with detritivores
8. On average, how much
energy is passed up each step of a food chain? What happens to the rest? Give
an example.
9. Diagram the carbon cycle
with arrows, using the proper carbon compounds in each of these reservoirs:
rock, atmosphere, coal, plants, oil, oceans, soils, deforestation (fire)
10. Diagram the nitrogen
cycle with arrows, using the proper nitrogen compounds in each of these reservoirs:
soils, plants, atmosphere, groundwater, root nodules, nitrite and nitrate
bacteria, decay bacteria, ocean
11. What is "fixed"
nitrogen? Why does it need to be fixed and who fixes it?
12. Diagram the phosphorus
cycle with arrows, using the proper phosphorus compounds in each of these reservoirs:
rock, atmosphere, oceans, plants, animals
13. What is pH? What pH is
considered neutral? Acidic?
14. What is a "tolerance
limit"? Do all species have the same tolerance limits? Why or why not?
Give an example.
15. What is natural
selection? Explain, in detail, using diagrams or examples.
16. How do species originate?
Give two examples of factors that can cause speciation.
17. What is an ecological
niche? Why do species seem to occupy different niches?
18. What is a keystone
species? Give an example.
19. What is ecological
competition? Explain the relationship between competition, resource
partitioning, natural selection, and speciation. What is the competitive
exclusion principle?
20. What is symbiosis? Are
symbioses always positive for all parties? Give three examples of symbioses,
and explain what each partner receives from the other.
21. What is succession?
Primary vs. secondary? Give an example of each.
22. What are "invasive
species"? Give an example.
1. What are two species of
coniferous trees that are native to the foothill region of Colorado? What is
one characteristic of each that allows them to successfully survive and
reproduce in this ecosystem?
2. What is one species of
deciduous tree that is native to the foothill region of Colorado? What is one
characteristic of each that allows them to successfully survive and reproduce
in this ecosystem?
3. What types of rocks occur
in this region? Soils in this region are developed from both types of rocks.
How might these soils differ and how will these different soils affect plant
growth?
4. What is the difference
between species diversity and functional diversity? Why is this differentiation
important?
5. What types of animals
occur in Aiken Canyon? What types of signs might we see in the ecosystem to
alert us to the presence of these animals?
6. What is organic matter?
Where does it come from? What are its effects on soils and plant growth?
7. Why did the Nature
Conservancy buy this piece of land?
8. Why did the trail sign
suggest that visitors stay on designated trails?
1. Explain the origin of
earthquakes in California and the absence of earthquakes in Colorado.
2. What is the source of all
nitrogen in the biosphere? Phosphorus? Carbon? Other biologically essential
elements such as potassium, calcium, and iron?
3. What is the definition of
a rock? What is the difference between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic
rock? Give an example of two of these rock types in the Colorado Springs area.
What is the origin of the different colors in some of the Colorado Springs
rocks?
4. What types of metals are
used in your daily life? Give three examples.
5. In absolute percentage,
what gases are the most important in the atmosphere?
6. In terms of function, what
gases are the most important in the atmosphere? Why?
7. Diagram the greenhouse
effect in detail. Explain.
8. What is the troposphere?
Stratosphere? How do they differ?
9. What is the ultimate cause
of atmospheric circulation on earth? Explain the origin of the NE trade winds
and the Westerlies, using diagrams to supplement your explanation.
10. What is albedo? What is
the albedo of the earth? What happens to the rest of the incoming solar energy?
11. Explain the physics of an
atmospheric convection cell (current). Why does this happen?
12. What are El Nino-La Nina
events? Why are these significant to life on earth? Give an example.
13. Why does snow fall on the
western slope of the Rocky mountains? Explain, using diagrams.
14. What is the origin of
monsoon (seasonal) winds?
1. What is the difference
between exponential and arithmethic growth? Diagram, making sure to label your
axes, and give an example of each.
2. What is doubling time? How
do you calculate this?
3. What are some possible
trajectories of population growth in nature? What are each of these patterns
called? Give examples of organisms with each type of population growth. Give an
example of how human populations can and have followed t
4. What factors cause the
rate of population increase to decline over time (i.e. logistic growth)?
5. What is "carrying
capacity"? What is the carrying capacity of the Earth?
6. What are the different
features of populations of "fast-growing" and "slow
growing" organisms?
7. What are some factors that
cause an increase in population? Decrease? Give examples of each.
8. What does the age
structure of a expanding population look like? A stable population? Give
examples of each.
9. What is the history of
population on Easter Island? Why did this happen?
10. Does population growth
cause environmental decline in natural systems? In human systems? Why or why
not?
11. Has the human population
on earth always grown at the same rate over time? Why or why not? Diagram the
trajectory of human population growth from 8000 BC to 2000 AD. Be sure to label
your axes.
12. What do you think the
population of humans will follow, a J or S curve? Why?
13. Who is Thomas Malthus,
what did he say that was so important, and when did he say it? Explain.
14. Who opposed the views of
Thomas Malthus, and what did he have to say in opposition? Which do you agree
with and why?
15. What percentage of the
world's population lives in developed countries? Where will the majority of the
population growth occur in this century?
16. What are the three most
populous nations on Earth, and what are their populations? Give an example of a
country with increasing population growth and one with decreasing population
growth.
17. What is zero population
growth? How might this name be misleading?
18. How many children in
developing countries can an average woman have and achieve zero population
growth? If each woman has this many children, does this mean that the
population will not grow? What is this phenomenon called?
19. What is the average
fertility rate of women in developed countries? Developing countries? Give
examples.
20. What is the primary cause
of population growth in the last 300 years, declining mortality or increasing
fertility?
21. What is one probable
cause of increased life expectancy? How then does poverty relate to population?
22. What is the relationship
between fertility rates in women and education or socioeconomic status? Why?
23. What is the relationship
between birth rates, death rates, and economic development? Where do developing
countries fall on this curve? Developed countries? What several different
views?
24. What is family planning?
What is the relationship between family planning and population growth?
1. Where does the shrimp you
eat likely come from? What are some ecological consequences of shrimp farming
and production? List and explain two.
2. How has food production
fared with increased population growth over the last several decades? If so,
why are there so many undernourished people in developing countries? How are we
able to alter total food production globally? Explain.
3. What is the state of
malnutrition in the world? Give a few examples and facts (ones that you will
remember!) What are some of the vitamins, minerals, or nutrients that many
people are lacking in the world? Give some examples.
4. What are some causes of
famines worldwide? Are all causes ecological?
5. What are the three most
important crops for food production worldwide? What percentage of total food
production do these three plants species make up?
6. What is the status of
milk, meat, and seafood consumption worldwide? Give two facts that you will
remember.
7. What is soil? How is it
formed? List four components of soil.
8. What are three ecological
consequences of intensive agriculture?
9. What are GMO's? What are
their positive and negative characteristics?
10. What was/is the Green
Revolution? What are some positive and negative consequences of the Green
Revolution?
11. What are three
agricultural consequences related to land degradation, energy, and water use
that you remember?
More to come on .....
Pesticides, Sustainable Agriculture, and Energy Production and Consumption