Ch 13

Question 1

What term refers to an organism’s “occupation” within the environment?

Answer 1

Niche

Question 2

What branch of science studies the relationships within an ecosystem?

Answer 2

Ecology

Question 3

List for important abiotic factors

Answer 3

Radiation from the sun
Temperature
Water
Atmosphere

Question 4

What is the range of conditions in which an organism can survive?

Answer 4

Tolerance range

Question 5

List the three major types of bio geochemical cycles.

Answer 5

Hydrologic
Atmosphere
Sedimentary

Question 6

List as many examples as you can of biotic and avionic factors in either your backyard are your local park.

Answer 6

Schoolyard
Tree
 Plants
Grass
Moles
Snakes
Weeds
School
Nearby field
Rain
Sun
Sprinklers
Healthy air
Lots of pollen
People visiting the park
Dogs

Question 7

The carrying capacity for a bird species depends on the number of months available to eat and the number of foxes trying to prey on it. One year, a disease kills many foxes, but the birds’ carrying capacity does not increase. Why not?

Answer 7

There are probably not enough moths to sustain the bird population.

Question 8

Name three divisions of the biosphere

Answer 8

Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere

Question 9

Define climax vegetation

Answer 9

The dominant plant species of a biome

Question 10

List and define in order from largest to smallest the levels of a biome.

Answer 10

Ecosystem-The environment and all its organisms

Community-all the living things in an ecosystem

Population-all the organisms of one species in an ecosystem

Organism-an individual plant or animal within an ecosystem

Question 11

What are the three main differences between the Arctic tundra and the Alpine tundra?

Answer 11

Lacks permafrost
Has better water drainage
It is located at higher altitudes

Question 12

What biome characterizes the Hreat Plains?

Answer 12

Grasslands

Question 13

Name three divisions of aquatic biomes based on salt content from least to most salty.

Answer 13

Freshwater
Brackish
Salt water

Question 14

Why would you not expect most leaves to change color in the fall and a boreal forest?

Answer 14

There are more conifers in a boreal forest. Most of them are evergreens which do not change color.

Question 15

Define Photoautotroph’s and chemoautotroph’s

Answer 15

Photoautotrophs are organisms that make their own food source out of light like plants

Chemoautotrophs are organisms that make their own food out of sulfur or nitrogen like some bacteria

Question 16

What does an organisms trophic level describe?

Answer 16

A classification that describes its feeding relationships with other organisms

Question 17

How do you a food chain in a food web different?

Answer 17

A food chain represents one path of prey and predator. A food web shows multiple options and relationships between pray and predator

Question 18

Define parasitism, symbiosis and neutralism

Answer 18

Predation is where one animal hunts another for food

Symbiosis is where organisms live in close association with another organism. Sometimes species depend on each other for survival

Neutralism is when one organism shares in direct contact with another organism. Lions and savanna grasses are an example because the grass supplies food for the food for the lion

Question 19

Compare and contrast decomposers and ditritovores

Answer 19

Detritivores eat or consume detritus which are dead and decaying plant and animal matter, but can’t change it into nutrients for the soil (earthworms)

Decomposers are organisms that feed on detritus and break it into nutrients that are returned to the soil (microscopic bacteria/fungi)