Chapter 3: Ecosystem Classification and Relationships

Question 1

define ecosystem

Answer 1

ecosystem is the abiotic and biotic factors of an area and how they interconnect

Question 2

define biome

Answer 2

areas on the earth that have similar climate, plants and animals

Question 3

define topography

Answer 3

the arrangement of different landmarks both natural and unnatural

Question 4

define ecosystem in terms of community and environment

Answer 4

community is the sum of all living things

environment is the abiotic and biotic factors

together they create an ecosystem

Question 5

define population

Answer 5

the amount of the same species in an area

Question 6

‘define mutualism and give an example

Answer 6

an inter species symbiotic relationship where both species benefit

e.g bees pollenate flowers when the bees go to get nectar

Question 7

define commensalism

Answer 7

an inter species symbiotic relationship where one species gains and the other doesn’t gain or is harmed

e.g barnacles attach to whales to be transported to nutrient rich waters

Question 8

define parasitism

Answer 8

an inter species symbiotic relationship where one species gains and the other is harmed

e.g roundworms living and feeding in a dogs digestive tract.

Question 9

define competition

Answer 9

an inter or intra species relationship where two organism are fighting for the same limited resource that their survival depends upon such as food, water or habitat

e.g two dogs fighting over the same bone

Question 10

define collaboration

Answer 10

a intra species relationship where multiple organisms are working together

e.g honeybees working to create food in the hive.

Question 11

define climate

Answer 11

the atmospheric weather of an area measured over an extended period of time

factors include: light, temp, water and wind

Question 12

what is the photic zone

Answer 12

the deepest point light will reach approximately 200m

Question 13

explain 1 terrestrial biome

Answer 13

grasslands are areas with <30% coverage

with mainly grass species

resistant to drought and fire

Question 14

what is the difference between an open and closed ecosystem

Answer 14

closed ecosystem: where energy is exchanged with surroundings such as sunlight but matter is not e.g fishbowl

open ecosystem: where energy and matter are exchanged e.g grasslands

Question 15

draw predator and prey graph and explain it

Answer 15

when the numbers of the prey increases the number of predators will as wells as there is more to go around but this will reach a peak where due to overfeeding the prey numbers will drop and then subsequently so will the predator numbers.

the number of prey fluctuates heavily but the predators are relatively stable

the predators will have less numbers the whole time unless the prey population drops rapidly