The document provides definitions and review questions for a unit test on organisms and the environment. It defines key terms related to ecology, succession, habitats, populations, species, water, and sustainability. It also provides example questions and answers about primary and secondary succession, the goal of succession, impacts of fertilizer and groundwater use.

1. Unit
6:
Test
Review
Organisms
and
the
Environment
(Water
and
Succession)
2013
-­‐
2014

2. DefiniEons
to
know:
• AbioEc
-­‐
a
nonliving
condiEon
or
thing
that
influences
or
affects
an
ecosystem.
• BioEc
-­‐
a
living
thing,
something
that
was
alive
(like
a
plant
or
an
animal)
or
something
that
has
the
poten/al
for
life
(like
a
seed
or
an
egg)
that
influences
or
affects
an
ecosystem.

3. • Ecological
Succession
-­‐
the
gradual
replacement
of
one
type
of
ecological
community
by
another
in
the
same
area
over
Eme

4. • Primary
Succession
-­‐
the
development
of
plant
and
animal
communiEes
over
Eme
in
an
area
where
no
soil
has
existed

5. • Secondary
Succession
-­‐
the
development
of
plant
and
animal
communiEes
over
Eme
in
an
area
where
there
was
a
disturbance
but
the
soil
was
sEll
present

6. • Climax
Community
–
an
ecological
community
where
plant
and
animal
populaEons
remain
stable
and
exist
in
balance.

7. DefiniEons:
• Environment
–
the
bioEc
and
abioEc
surroundings
or
condiEons
in
which
a
person,
plant
or
animal
lives
or
operates.
• Habitat
-­‐
the
area
or
environment
where
an
organism
or
ecological
community
normally
lives
or
occurs
• Microhabitat
–
a
small,
specialized
environment
such
as
a
schoolyard
or
a
clump
of
grass

8. • PopulaEon
-­‐
a
group
of
individuals
of
the
same
species
that
live
together
in
the
same
area
at
the
same
Eme
• Species
-­‐
a
group
of
organisms
that
share
common
aYributes
and
have
the
same
name

9. • Surface
Water
–
water
found
on
the
surface
of
the
earth,
such
as
rivers,
streams,
lakes,
creeks,
etc.
• Groundwater
-­‐
water
found
beneath
the
surface
of
the
earth
(underground)
it
is
supplied
by
run-­‐off.
It
is
the
source
of
water
in
springs
and
wells.

10. • Porosity
–
the
measure
of
a
rock’s
ability
to
hold
water
• Permeability
–
is
a
measure
of
the
ease
with
which
water
can
move
through
a
porous
rock.

11. • Sustainability
-­‐
a
method
of
harvesEng
or
using
a
resource
so
that
the
resource
is
not
depleted
or
permanently
damaged.
• Biodiversity
-­‐
the
interacEon
between
living
and
nonliving
organisms,
how
they
are
different
and
how
they
relate
to
each
other
in
their
natural
habitat

12. Answer
the
following
ques8ons:
Give 3 examples of pioneer species
and identify them for
Primary or Secondary Succession
• Primary
Succession
-­‐
Lichens,
bacteria,
mosses
• Secondary
Succession
-­‐
Weeds,
grasses
and
wildflowers

13. For primary succession
•
order these:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rock
Lichens
Bacteria
Moss
Ferns
Grasses,
Weeds
&
Wildflowers
Shrubs
&
sm.
Trees
Pine
trees
Hardwood
trees
Forest

14. For
secondary succession
order these:
• Crabgrass
• Horseweeds
• (Grasses,
Weeds
&
Wildflowers)
• Shrubs
&
sm.
Trees
• Pine
trees
• Pine
forest
• Hardwood
trees
• Hardwood
forest

15. Answer the following questions:
•
What is the goal of ecological
succession?
Equilibrium
The goal of succession is to restore an area to a climax
community with much biodiversity. When this occurs, equilibrium
or balance is more easily maintained. If an organism is removed
from the ecosystem, the other organisms dependent on that
organism will have other options for food, and can survive.

16. 2. List the steps in primary succession.
After a geologic event, bare rock is exposed to the
environment.
Stage 1:
• Pioneer organisms, such as lichens, are the first
to inhabit the area.
• Lichens give off acid, which breaks the rock
down into soil. Bacteria help to decompose
them.

17. Stage 2:
• Once a small amount of soil is present, moss may
start to grow on in the area.
• As moss dies and decays, organic matter is added to
soil.
• The soil becomes thicker
and contains more
nutrients.

18. Stage 3:
• Ferns begin to grow. As they die
they are decomposed and
added to the soil.
• Weeds, wildflowers and grasses
will start to grow when the
soil is thick enough.
• As grasses and weeds die,
they are decomposed
and added to the soil.

19. Stage 4:
• When soil is thick enough,
bushes and small trees
will start to grow.
• Pine trees are the first type of trees to grow in an
area since they
require less
water and
fewer soil
nutrients.

20. Stage 5:
• When the soil becomes rich
enough, deciduous trees
start to grow.
• Deciduous trees have the ability
to grow taller than pine trees.
• Leaves fall each year and decompose to add
nutrients to the soil.
• After a period of time, deciduous trees take over
the area since they grow taller and have better ability
to get light energy for photosynthesis.

21. Climax Forest - The End of Succession
• Eventually a mature temperate deciduous forest
forms.

22. 3. List the steps in secondary succession.
Occurs in areas where there was a disturbance, soil
is exposed to the environment.
Steps:
• Because soil is present, weeds will first start to grow.
Grasses and wildflowers will follow the weeds.
• Then shrubs and small trees will begin to grow.
• Pine trees and then deciduous trees will grow.
• Eventually a climax forest will regrow.

24. Example of
Secondary Succession
Machu Pichu,
ancient city of the Incans,
discovered in Peru, 1913
Abandoned for thousands
of years, the city was almost
completely overgrown and
hidden.

25. Excavation of
Machu Pichu
Photograph by Hiram Bingham
Commencing excavations at Ñusta Espana near Puquiura, near the stone platform shown in the last picture

27. Machu Pichu is considered one
of the wonders of the ancient
world. It is also a tourist
destination in Peru!

28. 4. How does biodiversity affect the
sustainability of an ecosystem?
• The more biodiversity in an ecosystem, the more
sustainable it is.
• More (Higher) biodiversity = more sustainability
• Less (Lower) biodiversity = less sustainability
The more biodiverse an ecosystem means there are
a greater variety of species and the ecosystem is
better able to carry out natural processes in the face
of external stress.

30. 5. What are three negative effects
excess (TOO MUCH) fertilizer can
have on the environment?
Too much fertilizer isn’t helpful! It just runs off in the
next rain….
• runs off into the watershed and pollutes the
water
• aquatic plants like algae will be overstimulated
with results like algae bloom
• causes respiratory diseases in animals and
people who drink contaminated water

31. 6. What are some of the effects on a
community if it uses more groundwater
than it replaces?
Overuse of
groundwater can
cause wells to dry up.
This can lead to
expensive and often
futile attempts to keep
up with the dropping
water table by drilling
deeper and deeper
wells.

32. When too much water is
withdrawn from the
ground, the land can
collapse, a process called
subsidence. When
groundwater fills spaces
in the soil, it supplies part
of the internal strength of
the ground. When the
water is removed, leaving
openings filled only with
air, the weight of the
overlying earth compacts
and crushes the spaces.
In this photograph of California's San Joaquin Valley, the dates on the pole mark the former heights of the ground.
In the span of 50 years, water pumping for irrigation led to nearly 30 feet of subsidence.

33. Removing too much
groundwater can leave
underground holes,
leading to sinkholes
http://youtu.be/ZEvCP7TXIEU
Sinkhole in Daisetta, TX
A sinkhole opened in the middle of a Florida
highway, near a residential area in 2004
The sinkhole appeared in
downtown Guatemala City,
swallowing a three-story building
Sinkholes around the world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IyIH_3eIi0

34. 7.
List
3
ways
humans
negaEvely
impact
groundwater.
Describe
the
effects.
• Over
ferElizaEon
of
crops
can
lead
to
runoff
and
seepage
into
groundwater
supplies,
polluEng
the
water
• LiYer
and
trash
–
pollute
surface
and
groundwater
supplies
• Overuse
of
ground
water
–
removing
too
much
ground
water
can
lead
to
sink
holes
and
subsidence,
as
well
as
deplete
the
resource

35. 8.
List
2
ways
an
area
can
be
disrupted
to
the
point
that
secondary
succession
will
occur.
• Natural
disrupEon
– Fire,
Floods,
Tsunamis,
Tornadoes,
etc.
• Human
disrupEon
– Building
a
shopping
mall,
house,
road
– Mining
– Farming

36. 9.
Draw
and
label
the
steps
of
the
water
cycle.