Environmental (B) Qs Unit 2

Question 1

Describe what makes up an ecosystem

Answer 1

An ecosystem is made up of all the living and nonliving things in a particular environment and the interactions that occur among them

Question 2

Describe how the abiotic environment interacts w/ the biotic environment

Answer 2

Abiotic environment provides the materials and physical conditions a organism (which is a part of the biotic environment) needs to survive. Additionally it may limit where said organism can live

Question 3

Explain how nutrients flow through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem

Answer 3

Nutrients flow from the sun to the tissues of organisms (so plants absorb the sun, then the animal eats the plant). Which then get recycled back into the abiotic environment (so when a animal poops the nutrients go back into the soil and rock)

Question 4

Describe how long it takes for evolution through natural selection to occur

Answer 4

Millions of years, happens very gradually

Question 5

Explain how gardeners and farmers develop special kinds of plants and animals

Answer 5

They did this by selecting and breeding organisms that had desired traits.

Question 6

Describe some struggles organisms must overcome to survive

Answer 6

-Over population which causes
Competition for resources

-Predators that eat them

-Unfavorable weather

-Environmental conditions Rocky terrain, you need to be good at climbing

Question 7

Explain how some members of a population live longer and produce more offspring than other members of the same population

Answer 7

Some members have more favorable traits that help them survive longer and reproduce, while other members have less favorable ones that get them killed

Thus, through natural selection, the bad traits die out, while the better ones live

Question 8

Explain how unfavorable traits are eventually eliminated from a population

Answer 8

Members of a certain population with unfavorable traits are less likely to survive or reproduce, thus few to know of the offspring they do produce will survive. On the other hand the member’s offspring with favorable traits have a greater chance of survival.

Question 9

Phytoplankton

Answer 9

Tiny bits of algae and plants that drifting in the water

Question 10

Limiting Factors (Growth of population)

Answer 10

Temperature
Light
Water and food
pH

Question 11

Producers, consumers, and decomposers (relationship)

Answer 11

Producers makes food, Consumers eat said food, Decomposers eat both producers, consumers, and other decomposers. Then nutrients from the decomposers’ food is absorbed by the producers.

Question 12

Preventing erosion of top soil (Why should you?)

Answer 12

If the top soil erodes away, plants won’t grow. If plants don’t regrow, we won’t be able to survive.

Important because it has the materials that plants need to grow, and the layer underneath it, does not

Question 13

Weather vs. Climate

Answer 13

Weather
(Current condition in an area)

Climate
(Avg condition over time in a area) (maybe leave out last part)

Question 14

What determines climate?

Answer 14

Average Temperature

Average precipitation

Question 15

Climate that makes forest (What type?)

Answer 15

Get enough rain (precipitation) through out the year

Question 16

Different Ecosystems on Mountains (Why?)

Answer 16

Temp change (between top and bottom)

Precipitation change (between front side to back side)

Question 17

Describe a estuary

Answer 17

Where Fresh water and Salt water mix (ocean and lake)

Question 18

Where do streams, rivers, and lakes get their nutrients?

Answer 18

From their watershed

Question 19

Urban Forests

Answer 19

Densely wooded area within the city

Sheep (Eat the invasive species, so they don’t have to use chemicals to get rid of them)

Tree’s roots (Holds soil in place and prevents erosion)

Question 20

Mountain Magic

Answer 20

Landform that is much taller than the surrounding area (has bogs, rivers, forest, etc.)

Moss (Helps keep bog plats wet and moist during dry seasons)

Beavers (help create and maintain the bog through their dams

Question 21

Okefenokee (swamp)

Answer 21

Wide grassy area that’s covered with shallow water

Pete (dead and dying vegetation which eventually turns into coal)

Alligator (Apex predator which keeps populations small, and makes a big whole as their nest which serves a habitat for other species)

Question 22

The Golden Coast

Answer 22

Land surrounded by water, estuary, beaches, (they absorb storms)

Salt Marsh Grass
(Helps keep the land from being washed away. Their roots hold the soil)

Lemur (conservation on Island)

Whimbrel (feed on crab (predator))

Question 23

Intertidal

Answer 23

Area btw high and low tides where the ocean and land meet

Seaweed: Mucus layer (stops seaweed from drying out when exposed to sun)

Sea Stars: Spines (protects them from predators)

Question 24

Caves

Answer 24

The environment typically very humid and has very consistent temperature throughout the year

Blind cave fish: No eyes (Allows them to put more energy into their other senses)

Lichens: Dormancy (can survive long periods of drought or extreme cold by going dormant)

Question 25

Forest

Answer 25

Dense community of trees and other organisms

Vines: Twinging Stems (Help it wrap their stems around other organisms to get more sunlight)

Barn Owl: Silent flight (Soft body feathers that muffle sound which allows them to surprise their prey)

Question 26

Mountains

Answer 26

(Rocky hilly, densely, forested area)

Pine tree: Waxy Coating (Waxy coating on pine needles prevents moisture loss in dry air)

Get shorter as they go up the mountain

Mountain Goat: Strong Muscles (help the climb and dig through snow)

Question 27

Estuary

Answer 27

Mangrove Tree: Buttressed trunks (provides stability for the tree (stops it from tipping)

Fish: Have salt glands which help them move salt from their bodies (this is important because salt can make them become

Question 28

Lake

Answer 28

\A large body of water surrounded by land

Turtle: Shell (protects them from predators)

Lily Pads: Floating Leaves (Maximize sunlight for photosynthesis)

Question 29

Swamp

Answer 29

Cypress tree: Shallow roots (allow them to access nutrients near the surface)

Frog: Webbed Feet (helps them swim faster and longer)

Question 30

River

Answer 30

Torpedo shape
Helps them move against current

Strong roots
Plants have strong roots to keep them in place and bending stems