ecology and biomes

Question 1

abiotic factors

Answer 1

all of the nonliving things in an environment

EX: wind, temp, water, light, soil

Question 2

biotic factors

Answer 2

all of the living organisms in an environment

EX: plants, animals

Question 3

habitat

Answer 3

• the place where an organism lives out its life

- it can change or even diappear

Question 4

niche

Answer 4

the role a species has in its environment like how it gets its food, how it survives, and how it reproduces

Question 5

tolerance

Answer 5

the ability of an organism to withstand changes in abiotic or biotic factors around them

Question 6

symbiosis

Answer 6

when different species live and interact in a close and permanent association

Question 7

mutalism

Answer 7

both species benefit from association

Question 8

parasitism

Answer 8

one benefits and one is harmed

Question 9

commensalism

Answer 9

on benefits and one is unaffected

have a host

Question 10

community

Answer 10

group of organisms of different species that interact with eachother

Question 11

ecosystem

Answer 11

biotic factors in an area and the abiotic factors that impact them

Question 12

biosphere

Answer 12

region on Earth where living organisms are found from the deep oceans to the atmosphere

Question 13

biodiversity

Answer 13

different species of organisms as well as the genetic variety within a species

Question 14

importance of keeping biodiversity in nature

Answer 14

• great biodiversity gives stable ecosystems
• food chains and food webs cannot exist without it
• more resistant to disease

Question 15

food chain

Answer 15

a simple model that shows the flow of energy in an ecosystem

EX: grass -> deer -> mountain lion

Question 16

food web

Answer 16

a more complicated model that shows all of the feeding situations in an ecosystem

Question 17

invasive/exotic species

Answer 17

species not native to a particular area, but now live and thrive in their new environment
-they have no natural predators

Question 18

what does more biodiversity mean

Answer 18

more complex food web which means a stable environment

Question 19

succession

Answer 19

natural changes and the replacement of different species in the communities of an ecosystem
-it can take a very long time to happen

Question 20

primary succession

Answer 20

the first arrival of communities of organisms in a formerly lifeless area

Question 21

pioneer species

Answer 21

the very first species to colonize a lifeless area

Question 22

colonization

Answer 22

moving from a familiar habitat to a new unfamiliar area

Question 23

secondary succession

Answer 23

changes in a community that occur when a natural or unnatural disaster destroys most of the individuals in a community

Question 24

climax community

Answer 24

a stable, mature community that undergoes little or no succession

Question 25

biome

Answer 25

a large group of ecosystems that share the same type of climax community

Question 26

marine biome

Answer 26

biomes that are found in salt water

Question 27

photic zone

Answer 27

- the portion of the marine biomes that's shallow enough for light to penetrate - it's main food source is plankton which is small organisms that include small plants

Question 28

aphotic zone

Answer 28

- deeper water that never gets sunlight | - dark, little food found, food falls from above

Question 29

estuary

Answer 29

anywhere where a river joins the ocean and freshwater mixes with salt water (salinity changes with tides)

Question 30

detritus

Answer 30

tiny pieces of organic material | -food source for animals at the base of the estuary food web

Question 31

intertidal zone

Answer 31

the area that's completely covered by water at high tide, but exposed at low tide

Question 32

freshwater biomes

Answer 32

no salt in the water

Question 33

what determines the type of terrestrial biome you are in

Answer 33

climograph

Question 34

desert

Answer 34

TERRESTRIAL BIOME | extremely dry, not always hot, very little vegetation, large areas of no life

Question 35

temperate grassland

Answer 35

TERRESTRIAL BIOME - large communities covered in grasses and other similar plants - usually has dry seasons so that little tree life can be supported

Question 36

humus

Answer 36

dead, decaying plant and animal matter which helps make up the underlying soil

Question 37

temperate forest

Answer 37

TERRESTRIAL BIOME - medium precipitation, noticeable seasons\ - trees everywhere and most lose their leaves annually - clay dound under humus - we live here

Question 38

tropical rainforest

Answer 38

TERRESTRIAL BIOME - characterized by intense rainfall, many species from all kingdoms, and warm climate - located near the equator - has different levels within forests, providing many different niches - little humus bc dead organisms are decomposed quickly

Question 39

Tundra

Answer 39

TERRESTRIAL BIOME -cold, little rainfall -few large animals -horrible, dark winters -short growing season of plants is a strong limitign factor Permafrost is permanently frozen ground that occurs bc the temp rarely reaches above freezing EX: northern canada

Question 40

Taiga

Answer 40

TERRESTRIAL BIOME -a bit warmer than Tundra and a bit more rainfall - long severe winter and short mild summers -more large animals than Tundra called Boreal Forest in the less barren areas