BIO 311D EXAM 3 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
2026/2027 | COMPLETE EXAM REVIEW
Patterns of spacing - correct answer ✔✔clumped
uniform
random
Patterns of spacing: clumped - correct answer ✔✔individuals aggregate in patches
influenced by resource availability and behavior
Patterns of spacing: uniform - correct answer ✔✔individuals are evenly distributed
may be influenced by social interactions such as territoriality
Patterns of spacing: random - correct answer ✔✔position of each individual is independent of
other individuals
occurs in the absence of strong attractions or repulsions
primary production - correct answer ✔✔Amount of light energy converted to chemical energy
by autotrophs.
approximately ____ % on average of solar energy striking the planet is transformed by plants
into chemical energy - correct answer ✔✔1
Autotroph - correct answer ✔✔An organism that makes its own food
,gross primary production (GPP) - correct answer ✔✔ecosystem's total primary production
net primary production (NPP) - correct answer ✔✔GPP minus energy used by primary
producers for respiration
amount of new biomass added in a given period of time
net ecosystem production (NEP) - correct answer ✔✔GPP minus total respiration of all
organisms (producers and consumers) in an ecosystem
measure of total biomass accumulation during a given period
ecosystem - correct answer ✔✔consists of all the organisms living in a community, as well as
the abiotic factors with which they interact
abiotic factors - correct answer ✔✔nonliving parts of an ecosystem
regardless of an ecosystem's ____, its dynamics involve 2 main processes: - correct answer
✔✔size
energy flow and chemical cycling
Energy __ in ecosystems - correct answer ✔✔flows through (gets released as entropy/heat and
needs a constant input)
Matter _______ through ecosystems - correct answer ✔✔cycles
(chemicals)
, (stays within ecosystem, only exception is small percent of erosion)
least common occurring ecosystems vs most common - correct answer ✔✔freshwater (1.8%)
marine (75%)
detritus - correct answer ✔✔Dead organic matter
detrivores - correct answer ✔✔Consumers that derive their nutrition from nonliving, organic
matter
Van Helmont Willow Tree Experiment - correct answer ✔✔concluded that water was
responsible for growth of plants
now we know that CO2 is also involved in plant growth
standing crop - correct answer ✔✔the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a
particular time
biomass - correct answer ✔✔total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
tropical rainforests, estuaries, and coral reefs are among the _____ productive ecosystems
________ - correct answer ✔✔most
per unit area
(highest NPP)
2026/2027 | COMPLETE EXAM REVIEW
Patterns of spacing - correct answer ✔✔clumped
uniform
random
Patterns of spacing: clumped - correct answer ✔✔individuals aggregate in patches
influenced by resource availability and behavior
Patterns of spacing: uniform - correct answer ✔✔individuals are evenly distributed
may be influenced by social interactions such as territoriality
Patterns of spacing: random - correct answer ✔✔position of each individual is independent of
other individuals
occurs in the absence of strong attractions or repulsions
primary production - correct answer ✔✔Amount of light energy converted to chemical energy
by autotrophs.
approximately ____ % on average of solar energy striking the planet is transformed by plants
into chemical energy - correct answer ✔✔1
Autotroph - correct answer ✔✔An organism that makes its own food
,gross primary production (GPP) - correct answer ✔✔ecosystem's total primary production
net primary production (NPP) - correct answer ✔✔GPP minus energy used by primary
producers for respiration
amount of new biomass added in a given period of time
net ecosystem production (NEP) - correct answer ✔✔GPP minus total respiration of all
organisms (producers and consumers) in an ecosystem
measure of total biomass accumulation during a given period
ecosystem - correct answer ✔✔consists of all the organisms living in a community, as well as
the abiotic factors with which they interact
abiotic factors - correct answer ✔✔nonliving parts of an ecosystem
regardless of an ecosystem's ____, its dynamics involve 2 main processes: - correct answer
✔✔size
energy flow and chemical cycling
Energy __ in ecosystems - correct answer ✔✔flows through (gets released as entropy/heat and
needs a constant input)
Matter _______ through ecosystems - correct answer ✔✔cycles
(chemicals)
, (stays within ecosystem, only exception is small percent of erosion)
least common occurring ecosystems vs most common - correct answer ✔✔freshwater (1.8%)
marine (75%)
detritus - correct answer ✔✔Dead organic matter
detrivores - correct answer ✔✔Consumers that derive their nutrition from nonliving, organic
matter
Van Helmont Willow Tree Experiment - correct answer ✔✔concluded that water was
responsible for growth of plants
now we know that CO2 is also involved in plant growth
standing crop - correct answer ✔✔the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a
particular time
biomass - correct answer ✔✔total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
tropical rainforests, estuaries, and coral reefs are among the _____ productive ecosystems
________ - correct answer ✔✔most
per unit area
(highest NPP)
