chapter 18

Question 1

what is a population, what is a community, what is an ecosystem, what is a biome, what is the biosphere

Answer 1

population–» same species interbreeding, living in the same geographic area

community–» group of two or more populations of different species living together in the same geographic area

ecosystem–» all living and non-living environment through which energy flows and minerals cycle

biome–» group of ecosystems with common patterns of climate and distinctive vegetation distributed over a wide are

biosphere–» all of the ecosystems of the world— the portion of the earth that supports life; including atmosphere [air], hydrosphere [water] and lithosphere [land]

Question 2

what are the two main climatic factors which determine the distribution of biomes

Answer 2

temperature & precipitation

Question 3

which biome is characterized by permafrost

Answer 3

tundra

Question 4

in which biome is Memphis located

Answer 4

taiga

Question 5

which biome has the best agricultural land

Answer 5

grasslands

Question 6

which is the only major biome not found in North America

Answer 6

savanna

Question 7

which biome is the richest in species diversity

Answer 7

tropical rainforest

Question 8

what factors are important in determining distribution of organisms in aquatic ecosystems

Answer 8

dissolved oxygen–» this affects many aspects of life in the lake, including what can live where and the solubility of many nutrients