1) Describe the steps of the scientific method and provide an example of how you may have used this method in your daily life. (Ch. 1)
2) Distiguish between utilitarian conservation and preservation. Name an environmentalist associated with each of these philosophies and some of their specific views/opinions. (Ch. 1)
3) In the biosphere, matter follows circular pathways, while energy flows in a linear fashion. Explain this using the carbon cycle or the water cycle and a food chain in an ecosystem you know. (Ch. 2)
4) What do ecologists mean by the term resilience? In what ways might diversity contribute to resilience in an ecosystem? (Ch. 3)
5) In what ways is disturbance good or bad in an ecosystem? Can it be both? Give an example from an ecosystem you know, and consider some of the disturbances that affect it. What are some negative and positive effects? (Ch. 3)