#AP Biology: Ecology - The Night Before Review 🚀

Hey there, future biologist! Let's get you prepped for the AP Biology exam with a super-focused review of Ecology (Unit 8). Remember, you've got this! 💪

Ecology is a big deal, making up a significant chunk of the exam. It ties together everything you've learned about interactions, energy, and change. Focus on understanding how systems respond to disruptions and the importance of biodiversity.

#🔗 Key Concepts

#Core Ideas

• Interactions: Organisms don't live in isolation; they're constantly interacting with each other and their environment.
• Energy Flow: How energy moves through an ecosystem is crucial for its health and stability.
• Biodiversity: A diverse ecosystem is a resilient ecosystem.
• Change: Ecosystems are dynamic and constantly changing, especially in response to disruptions.

#Key Terms

• Metabolism
• Exponential Growth
• Logistic Growth
• Carrying Capacity
• Density-Dependent Factors
• Density-Independent Factors
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Abiotic
• Biotic
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
• Parasitism
• Predation
• Competition
• Food Web
• Trophic Level
• Niche
• Cooperation
• Keystone Species
• Producer
• Consumer

#🤔 Sample Big Idea Questions

#Diversity and Evolution

• Question: How does diversity among and between species in a biological system affect the evolution of species within the system?
• Answer: High biodiversity = more genetic traits = better adaptation. Diverse ecosystems are more stable and resilient.

#Energy and System Health

• Question: How does the acquisition of energy relate to the health of a biological system?
• Answer: Energy flow is crucial. Disruptions in energy flow can cause a domino effect. Efficient energy flow supports greater diversity and abundance.

#Community and Ecosystem Change

• Question: How do communities and ecosystems change, for better or worse, due to biological disruption?
• Answer: Loss of a keystone species = negative cascading effects. Introduction of a new species = possible increase in biodiversity. Changes can be positive or negative.

#Disruption and Genetic Information

• Question: How does a disruption of a biological system affect genetic information storage and transmission?
• Answer: Reduced population size = reduced genetic diversity. Slow population recovery = reduced genetic transmission.

#Species Interactions and Ecosystem Survival

• Question: How do species interactions affect the survival of an ecosystem?
• Answer: Predator-prey interactions control populations. Mutualistic interactions maintain health and productivity. Disruptions in interactions can destabilize the ecosystem.

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    {
      "question": "Which of the following best describes the role of a keystone species in an ecosystem?",
      "options": [
        "A) A species that is the most abundant in the ecosystem.",
        "B) A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to i...