Ecology Lab Study Guide and Review Topics
Content of the study guides will be updated throughout
the course as we go along. Each quiz will include topics which we have studied
before the two consecutive quizzes, except occasional bonus quizzes that may
include all topics we've covered in the course so far.
Introductory module
Concepts
1. Define ecology. Explain how ecology differs from environmentalism.
2. Describe four main steps of the empirical scientific method. Who proposed the
scientific method? What are major characteristics of scientific hypothesis in
the context of the empirical scientific method?
3. Compare climates and soil characteristics of tropical rainforest and deserts.
What are major limiting abiotic factors for plant growth in each biome?
4. Give examples of specific plant adaptations in tropical rainforests and
deserts and explain them.
5. Describe different types of photosynthesis (C3, C4 and CAM); what is similar
and what is different in these pathways? Explain how different types of
photosynthesis help plants survive in different climates; what are advantages
and disadvantages of different types of photosynthesis in temperate, tropical
and desert climates?
Methods
Not applicable
Stream Forest module
Concepts
1. Define riparian zone. What are ecological functions of riparian zone and its
effect on stream/river water quality?
2. Basics of ecological design: explain what pseudoreplication means and how it
can be avoided in experimental design. Define simple and temporal
pseudoreplication.
3. Explain major steps in statistical analysis of data and be able to select the
correct statistical test for a given data set or experimental design.
4. What is a normal distribution, mean and standard deviation? Define ranges for
68%, 95% and 99% confidence intervals of the means of a normal distribution
(i.e. how many standard deviations around the mean include 68%, 95% and 99% of
variants).
5. Explain main determinants of community structure. Which two parameters
determine species diversity? Be able to calculate the Shannon-Wiener diversity
index, species richness and evenness from the species abundance table.
6.
Methods
1. Explain
1.
Riparian Forest module
Concepts
Methods
GIS module
Concepts
Methods
Pond module
Concepts
Methods
Biome module (Greehouse lab)
Concepts
Methods