Chapter 3

Question 1

part of earth in which life exists, including land, water, and air or atmosphere.

Answer 1

biosphere

Question 2

Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

Answer 2

Ecology

Question 3

a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Answer 3

Species

Question 4

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area.

Answer 4

Population

Question 5

assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area.

Answer 5

Community

Question 6

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment.

Answer 6

Ecosystem

Question 7

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact.

Answer 7

Biotic Factor

Question 8

physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem.

Answer 8

Abiotic Factor

Question 9

thin layer of gases that surround Earth.

Answer 9

Atmosphere

Question 10

all of the water–salt water and fresh water, in the form of liquid, ice, or vapor–above and below Earth’s surface and in the atmosphere.

Answer 10

Hydrosphere

Question 11

all of the rock at and below Earth’s surface.

Answer 11

Geosphere

Question 12

average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time.

Answer 12

Climate

Question 13

day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and other factors.

Answer 13

Weather

Question 14

the process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in Earth’s atmosphere as heat.

Answer 14

Greenhouse effect

Question 15

a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Answer 15

Biome

Question 16

dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees.

Answer 16

Canopy

Question 17

layer in a rain forest found underneath the canopy formed by shorter trees and vines.

Answer 17

Understory

Question 18

material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter.

Answer 18

Humus

Question 19

biome with long cold winters and a few months of warm weather; dominated by coniferous evergreens; also called boreal forest.

Answer 19

Taiga

Question 20

layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in the tundra.

Answer 20

Permafrost

Question 21

sunlight region near the surface of water.

Answer 21

Photic zone

Question 22

dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone where sunlight does not penetrate.

Answer 22

Aphotic Zone

Question 23

microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments; includes both phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Answer 23

Plankton

Question 24

ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface for at least part of the year.

Answer 24

Wetland

Question 25

kind of wetland formed where a river meets the ocean.

Answer 25

Estuary