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Questions and Answers
What term describes the condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place?
What is the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region called?
Which term refers to the natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere?
What is the cold climate zone where the sun's rays strike Earth at a very low angle?
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Which climate zone is characterized by moderate conditions between polar zones and tropics?
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What is the warm climate zone that receives direct sunlight year-round?
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Biological influence on organisms within an ecosystem is called what?
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What term describes the physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem?
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What do we call the area where an organism lives, including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it?
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What is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives called?
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What term refers to any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space?
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What ecological rule states that no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat simultaneously?
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What term describes the interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism?
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Which relationship involves two species living closely together?
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What type of symbiotic relationship benefits both species involved?
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What is the term for a symbiotic relationship where one member benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed?
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Which type of symbiotic relationship results in harm to the host organism?
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What do we call the gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance?
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What type of succession occurs on surfaces where no soil exists?
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What is known as the first species to populate an area during primary succession?
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Which type of succession occurs following a disturbance that destroys a community but does not destroy the soil?
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What term describes tiny, free-floating organisms that occur in aquatic environments?
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What term refers to the population of algae and other small, photosynthetic organisms found near the surface of the ocean?
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What describes tiny animals that form part of the plankton?
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What is the ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year?
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What are wetlands formed where rivers meet the ocean called?
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What term refers to particles of organic material that provide food for organisms at the base of an estuary's food web?
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What is a temperate-zone estuary dominated by salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide line?
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What type of coastal wetland is dominated by mangroves?
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What term describes the well-lit upper layer of the oceans?
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What is the permanently dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone called?
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What term refers to the prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat?
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What is the marine zone that extends from the low-tide mark to the end of the continental shelf called?
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What coastal ocean community is named for its dominant organism—kelp?
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What term refers to a diverse and productive marine environment formed by coral animals?
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What do we call organisms that live attached to or near the ocean floor?
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What term refers to a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities?
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What describes an organism's capacity to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor?
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What term describes the climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area?
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What term refers to the dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees?
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What is the layer in a rain forest formed by shorter trees and vines called?
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What term is used to refer to a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year?
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What term is used to refer to trees that produce seed-bearing cones and have thin leaves shaped like needles?
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What material is formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter?
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What biome has cold winters but mild enough summers to allow the ground to thaw?
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What is the layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in the tundra called?
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Study Notes
Weather and Climate
- Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions at a specific time and location.
- Climate is the long-term average of temperature and precipitation for a region.
Greenhouse Effect
- The greenhouse effect involves the retention of heat in Earth's atmosphere through gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.
Climate Zones
- Polar zones experience cold climates due to low-angle sunlight.
- Temperate zones feature moderate climates situated between polar regions and tropics.
- Tropical zones are characterized by warm climates with direct sunlight year-round.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
- Biotic factors involve biological influences affecting organisms in an ecosystem.
- Abiotic factors are nonliving elements, such as temperature and nutrients, that shape ecosystems.
Habitat and Niche
- A habitat is the area an organism inhabits, containing both biotic and abiotic influences.
- A niche defines the full range of conditions and lifestyle of an organism in its environment.
Competition and Interaction
- Resources are essential for life, including water, food, and light.
- The competitive exclusion principle states that two species cannot occupy the same niche simultaneously.
- Predation is the interaction where one organism hunts and consumes another.
- Symbiosis describes close relationships between species, including mutualism (both benefit), commensalism (one benefits, the other is unaffected), and parasitism (one benefits at the expense of the other).
Ecological Succession
- Ecological succession is the gradual change in community composition following disturbances.
- Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas without soil; it starts with pioneer species.
- Secondary succession follows disturbances that leave the soil intact.
Aquatic Ecosystems
- Plankton are minute organisms drifting in aquatic environments, including phytoplankton (photosynthetic organisms) and zooplankton (tiny animals).
- Wetlands are ecosystems with seasonal or permanent water coverage.
- Estuaries form where freshwater rivers meet the ocean, rich in nutrients and biodiversity.
- Salt marshes and mangrove swamps are types of coastal wetlands, characterized by their salt-tolerant vegetation.
Oceanic Zones
- The photic zone is the upper part of the ocean, where sunlight penetrates.
- The aphotic zone remains dark, under the photic layer, with no sunlight reaching it.
Biomes and Their Characteristics
- Biomes are categorized groups of ecosystems that share similar climates and dominant species.
- Tolerance refers to an organism's ability to thrive despite unfavorable conditions.
- Microclimates are variations in climate within small localized areas.
Forest Structures
- Canopy refers to the dense layer formed by tree tops in a rainforest.
- Understory is the layer beneath the canopy comprising shorter trees and vines.
Types of Trees
- Deciduous trees shed their leaves during specific seasons.
- Coniferous trees have needle-like leaves and produce cones.
Soil and Ground Conditions
- Humus is organic material formed from decaying plant matter.
- Taiga is a biome with cold winters and mild summers, allowing ground thawing.
- Permafrost is a permanently frozen subsoil layer found in tundra regions.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge of ecosystems and communities with these flashcards from Biology Chapter 4. Each card features key terms and definitions that are essential for understanding the dynamics of weather, climate, and the greenhouse effect.
