Chpt. 3 Vocab

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

group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

Answer 3

species

Question 4

a group of individuals that belong to the same species and 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

organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment

Answer 6

ecosystem

Question 7

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

Answer 7

biotic factors

Question 8

any non-living part of environment

Answer 8

abiotic factors

Question 9

includes all gases that surround earth

Answer 9

atmosphere

Question 10

consists of all pf earths fresh water

Answer 10

hydrosphere

Question 11

includes all usually “solid stuff”

Answer 11

geoshpere

Question 12

defined by patterns and averages of temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind over many years

Answer 12

climate

Question 13

consists of short-term changes in temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind from day to day, or minute to minute

Answer 13

weather

Question 14

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

homes of organisms into roughly ten different regional climate communities

Answer 15

biomes

Question 16

tall trees form a dense, leafy covering

Answer 16

canopy

Question 17

the shade below, shorter trees and vines form a layer

Answer 17

understory

Question 18

a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

Answer 18

humus

Question 19

dense forests of coniferous evergreens along the northern edge of the temperate zone

Answer 19

taiga

Question 20

a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

Answer 20

permafrost

Question 21

the sunlit region near the surface in which photosynthesis can occur

Answer 21

photic zone

Question 22

food chains in many aquatic ecosystems, or called floating algae

Answer 22

plankton

Question 22

below the photic zone, where photosynthesis cannot occur

Answer 22

aphotic zone

Question 23

an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at/near the surface

Answer 23

wetland

Question 24

a wetland formed where a river meets the sea

Answer 24

estuary