Give examples of the various terrestrial ecosystems or biomes and describe their temperature and rainfall.
Give examples of the various aquatic ecosystems.
Define each of the following terms as it relates to community: niche, autotrophs, producers, heterotrophs, consumers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and detritus feeders.
Explain the concepts of energy flow and chemical cycling in an ecosystem.
Differentiate between a grazing food web and a detrital food web.
Explain how organisms can be assigned to trophic levels.
Describe an ecological pyramid and its relationship to trophic structure.
Draw a generalized biogeochemical cycle.
Diagram the hydrologic (water) cycle and explain its importance to life.
Explain how humans interfere with the water cycle.
Describe the carbon cycle, carbon reservoirs, and the role of carbon dioxide in global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Describe the nitrogen cycle, the importance of bacteria in the cycle, and the manner in which humans affect the cycle.
Know the basics of the phosphorus cycle and how human activities have caused water pollution.
Understand and use the bold-faced and italicized terms included in this chapter.
