BIL 160 - Spring 2009 - Krempels

STUDY GUIDE FOR THE NON-CUMULATIVE PORTION OF THE FINAL EXAM

  • Don't miss the (optional) wrap-up lecture at 3:35pm in Cox 126 to cover the last bit of ecology we didn't cover in class.
  • Don't miss the FINAL REVIEW SESSION on MONDAY, MAY 4 at 5:00pm in Cox 126.

    Your Study Guide for the Final Exam should consist of:

  • Your first three study guides (but don't rely too heavily on them. As always, you need to be able to understand and connect concepts and apply them--not just regurgitate facts).

  • The posted class notes from ALL LECTURES. (Note that even if we didn't cover a tiny portion in class, there is nothing we missed that isn't self-explanatory.

  • Your notes from class.

  • Your textbook readings (especially the problems at the end of the chapters--for all the readings you've done this semester. Trust me. Those will help.).
  • The exam will be approximately 50% on the most recent material (since Exam III) and about 50% cumulative, focusing on major ideas (not minutia). Use your previous study guides to prepare for the cumulative portion of the exam.
  • The following is a brief checklist to help you prepare for the non-cumulative part of the exam. But remember: anything in the notes or text readings is fair game!

    DEUTEROSTOMES

    Know the characteristics that link deuterostomes together, as well as those that set them apart from the protostomes.
    Know the common names and important characteristics, organ systems, natural history, etc. of each of the following taxa:

  • Echinodermata (all five classes we studied)
  • Hemichordata
  • Chordata (including Urochordata, Cephalochordata, and Craniata) Understand the function and significance of the water vascular system, and the return of echinoderms to a radially symmetrical body form.
    Know how echinoderms are similar to hemichordates and how they are different.

    VERTEBRATES

    Know the taxonomic and common names of the major vertebrate groups we studied in class, as well as their definining characteristics.
    What symplesiomorphies do vertebrates share with other animals, and what synapomorphies set them apart?
    Know the major tissue and organ systems of the vertebrates, their components, function, and structure.
    Know the defining characteristics of the major Vertebrate classes, and their evolutionary relationships.
    Know the meaning/significance of: synapsid, anapsid, diapsid, swim bladder, air sacs, ectotherm, endotherm, poikilotherm, homeotherm (from before!), dental formula, mammalian epidermal/dermal system and its derivatives

    Know the parts of the amniotic egg, and the evolutionary significance of the amniotic egg. What do its parts become in mammals?
    What characteristics set each of the vertebrate groups apart from the other vertebrates?

    What are the three main groups of mammals (in terms of reproductive mode), and what are the characters that distinguish them? Which taxa form a clade with primates? (Check out www.tolweb.org to be sure you understand the relationships of the mammals.

    ECOSYSTEMS
    Understand the major components of ecosystems, including: biotic and abiotic factors, climate, weather, water, nutrients, topography, etc.
    Know the main phenomena studied by the organismal, population, community and ecosystem ecologist. What is landscape ecology? Global ecology?
    Understand the major factors affecting climate and seasons at the various latitides on earth.
    Know the meaning/significance of: poles, equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, tropics, temperate region, boreal region, polar region
    What is a biome? What are the major biomes, and what are their major, defining characteristics? What type of plants and animals would you be most likely to see in each of the major biomes?
    Know the zonation regions in freshwater and marine systems, where they are, and their major characteristics. (See the two diagrams in Lecture 21).
    Know the meaning/significance of: oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic, cultural eutrophication.

    ORGANISMAL ECOLOGY
    Know the meaning/significance of: poikilotherms vs. homeotherms, endotherms vs. ectotherms, regulator vs. conformer; anadromous, catadromous, adaptation vs. evolution; acclimation

    POPULATION ECOLOGY
    Understand the meaning/significance/characteristics of: the types of organism dispersion seen in populations, r-selected, K-selected, arithmetic and logistic population growth, life history strategies, population limiting factors (density dependent and density independent), carrying capacity, intrinsic rate of increase
    Read the section on demography in Chapter 52 (pages 1139 - 1143. Know the meaning/significance of: type I, II and III survivorship curves; cohort, semelparity, iteroparity

    COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
    Know the meaning/significance of the theoretical types of symbiosis, and be able to recognize examples of each.
    Know the meaning/significance of: mimicry, aposematism, crypsis, Batesian Mimicry, Mullerian Mimicry
    In your text, read on pages 1160-1161 about phenomena related to competition: Competitive Exclusion Principle, Ecological Niche, Resource Partitioning, Character Displacement. (We've covered these previously in lectures before Exam III, but it's nice to review them here again.)
    Know the meaning/significance of herbivory, parasite, host, parasitoid, endoparasite, ectoparasite, intermediate host, definitive host, pathogen, coevolution, species diversity, species richness and relative abundance of species in an ecosystem
    Understand the meaning of trophic levels, primary producer, primary, secondary, etc. consumers, food web, dominant species (see page 1168), keystone species.
    Understand the meaning of "disturbance" in an ecosystem (we talked about this when we talked about r-selected "weedy" species, but it's in the book on pages 1172-1174) and also the meaning of ecological succession.

    ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
    Understand the meaning/significance/characteristics of: trophic levels, energy flow, GPP, NPP, biomass, Energy and Biomass pyramids.
    Know the major features of a generalized biogeochemical cycle, as well as the major specifics of the Carbon Cycle, Water Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, and Phosphorus Cycle (which is pretty much the same as any other mineral cycle.)

    As those of you who have been coming to class probably have noticed, there's more to understanding this material than just passively reading it. You must understand it at many levels.
    REMEMBER: you won't do well on the GRE, DAT, MCAT or any other professional entry exam unless you can not only remember all the facts, but connect them, apply them and solve problems with them. These exams are just a tiny taste of things to come in your future.

    If you study for ALL of your classes with this in mind, you will do much better and become a smarter, wiser person.

    GOOD LUCK on all your finals,
    and in all your courses to come!