BIO 152: EXAM 3 LEARNING
OBJECTIVE WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
2025
Understand the major levels of study in ecology (e.g., organismal,
population, community, landscape, ecosystem, global) and what
distinguishes them. Be able to recognize levels of organization
from examples. correct answers >> 1) organismal ecology:
physiological and behavioral ecology of specific organisms
2) population ecology: interaction between individuals and their
environment within a population
3) community ecology: interactions within an entire community of
organisms
4) ecosystem ecology: within a specific ecosystem, analyzing how
organisms interact with their environment
5) landscape ecology: how organisms interact with their
environments across an entire landscape
6) global ecology: how organisms interact with their environments
across the planet
Distinguish between ecology and environmentalism. correct
answers >> Ecology is a science. Environmentalism is the
philosophical concern for the environment. Research can be
affected if there's no objectivity. What one believes does not need
to influence what is seen and observed.
- ecology: scientific study of organisms and their environments
- environmentalism: policy/issues regarding environment that's
advocated for
,Explain how species distributions are shaped by dispersal,
behavior, biotic factors, and abiotic factors. Brainstorm ideas for
how you (an ecologist) could test whether these different
processes are limiting species distributions or not. correct
answers >> A species could be absent from and area due to:
1) dispersal: the area is inaccessible or it's insufficient timing
2) behavior: the organism doesn't select that habitat
3) biotic factors: include predation, parasitism, competition, and
disease
4) abiotic factors: chemical factors (water, oxygen, salinity, pH,
soil nutrients, etc.) and physical factors (temperature, light, soil,
structure, fire, moisture, etc.)
Define what "climate" means and how it differs from "weather"
correct answers >> - climate is the function of temperature,
water, sunlight, wind and is a key determinant of the distribution
of species on earth; this is more generalizable and does not
change on a daily basis because it encompasses the overall
patterns
- weather is much more variable
Explain the causes of the seasons correct answers >>
Seasons are generated by:
- the angle of the earth
- the earth's orbit around the sun
Describe how climate varies with latitude and how these
differences are related to differences in sunlight that strikes the
, earth correct answers >> - ecological communities change
as you move north and south of the equator and from east to
west across continents, primarily in response to variation in
temperature and precipitation
- more common to find tropical forests, deserts, savannas, etc.
from the equator to about 30 degrees
- as you move further north/south, grasslands, broadleaf forests,
and coniferous forests become more common
- far north/south polar ice exists
- primarily because there's more direct sun near the equator due
to the the tilt of the earth
Draw and label the major zones for lakes and oceans correct
answers >> **see slide 13 of lecture 10.3
Explain the stages and mechanisms involved in seasonal turnover
in temperate lakes correct answers >> - lake stratification
occurs causing bands of warmer/colder water at different depths
throughout the lake
SUMMER
- less dense, warmer water occupies top layer of lake while
cooler, more dense layers are near the bottom
FALL
- as fall comes, the top layer of the water begins to cool to the
temperature of the lower layers
- turnover occurs when they reach the same temp and are able to
mix
WINTER
- only exception where the colder water (ice) is on the top layer
OBJECTIVE WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
2025
Understand the major levels of study in ecology (e.g., organismal,
population, community, landscape, ecosystem, global) and what
distinguishes them. Be able to recognize levels of organization
from examples. correct answers >> 1) organismal ecology:
physiological and behavioral ecology of specific organisms
2) population ecology: interaction between individuals and their
environment within a population
3) community ecology: interactions within an entire community of
organisms
4) ecosystem ecology: within a specific ecosystem, analyzing how
organisms interact with their environment
5) landscape ecology: how organisms interact with their
environments across an entire landscape
6) global ecology: how organisms interact with their environments
across the planet
Distinguish between ecology and environmentalism. correct
answers >> Ecology is a science. Environmentalism is the
philosophical concern for the environment. Research can be
affected if there's no objectivity. What one believes does not need
to influence what is seen and observed.
- ecology: scientific study of organisms and their environments
- environmentalism: policy/issues regarding environment that's
advocated for
,Explain how species distributions are shaped by dispersal,
behavior, biotic factors, and abiotic factors. Brainstorm ideas for
how you (an ecologist) could test whether these different
processes are limiting species distributions or not. correct
answers >> A species could be absent from and area due to:
1) dispersal: the area is inaccessible or it's insufficient timing
2) behavior: the organism doesn't select that habitat
3) biotic factors: include predation, parasitism, competition, and
disease
4) abiotic factors: chemical factors (water, oxygen, salinity, pH,
soil nutrients, etc.) and physical factors (temperature, light, soil,
structure, fire, moisture, etc.)
Define what "climate" means and how it differs from "weather"
correct answers >> - climate is the function of temperature,
water, sunlight, wind and is a key determinant of the distribution
of species on earth; this is more generalizable and does not
change on a daily basis because it encompasses the overall
patterns
- weather is much more variable
Explain the causes of the seasons correct answers >>
Seasons are generated by:
- the angle of the earth
- the earth's orbit around the sun
Describe how climate varies with latitude and how these
differences are related to differences in sunlight that strikes the
, earth correct answers >> - ecological communities change
as you move north and south of the equator and from east to
west across continents, primarily in response to variation in
temperature and precipitation
- more common to find tropical forests, deserts, savannas, etc.
from the equator to about 30 degrees
- as you move further north/south, grasslands, broadleaf forests,
and coniferous forests become more common
- far north/south polar ice exists
- primarily because there's more direct sun near the equator due
to the the tilt of the earth
Draw and label the major zones for lakes and oceans correct
answers >> **see slide 13 of lecture 10.3
Explain the stages and mechanisms involved in seasonal turnover
in temperate lakes correct answers >> - lake stratification
occurs causing bands of warmer/colder water at different depths
throughout the lake
SUMMER
- less dense, warmer water occupies top layer of lake while
cooler, more dense layers are near the bottom
FALL
- as fall comes, the top layer of the water begins to cool to the
temperature of the lower layers
- turnover occurs when they reach the same temp and are able to
mix
WINTER
- only exception where the colder water (ice) is on the top layer
