Ecosystems and Biomes Quiz

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• Biotic factors are living things or things that came from living things
• Abiotic factors are non-living things like temperature, humidity, precipitation, water availability, and soil type

Biomes

• Biome is a place where an organism lives
• There are millions of different species of plants and animals in various locations on Earth
• Examples of biomes include caves, tundra, forests, oceans, and deserts

Atmosphere

• The atmosphere is layers of gases surrounding Earth

Biosphere

• The biosphere is made up of all living things, living things that lived recently, or derived from living organisms

Ecosystem

• Ecosystem is a collection of biotic and abiotic factors that support life; they are complex
• Ecologists use various terms to describe the parts of ecosystem
• Individual: one type of living organism
• Population: many of one type of organism
• Community: many different types of organisms
• Biome = many ecosystems

Keystone Species

• Keystone species control or modify the ecosystem's population of other species

Consumers

• Consumers cannot produce their own food; they need to eat plants or animals for energy

Producers

• Producers produce their own food (e.g., trees, shrubs, grass, algae, lichen, seaweed, and some bacteria)

Ecological Pyramid

• Shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another
• The bottom shows producers
• The top shows top carnivores/predators

Competition

• Competition occurs when individuals vie for limited resources

Limiting Factors

• Limiting factors are biotic or abiotic factors that restrict the size of a population

Food Web and Food Chain

• Food web is a complex network of interconnecting food chains
• Food chain shows how matter and energy transfer between organisms

Carrying Capacity

• Carrying capacity is the maximum population size a given environment can support consistently before resources are depleted.
• Abiotic factors in ecosystems determine carrying capacity

Biogeochemical Cycles

• These cycles show the movement of organisms and their nutrients in ecosystems

Carbon Cycle

• The carbon cycle describes how carbon atoms continuously travel between the atmosphere, Earth, and living organisms

Nitrogen Cycle

• The nitrogen cycle shows how nitrogen moves through various spheres of the environment

Eutrophication

• Eutrophication is the process where a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, leading to the growth of simple plants.

Invasive Species

• Invasive species outcompete natural predators or encounter less threats in their new ecosystem. This can lead to population booms.

Primary Succession

• Primary succession is the formation of new ecosystems
• Pioneer species (like lichen) modify rock into soil over many years
• Takes a long time (hundreds of years) to reach an ecosystem equilibrium

Secondary Succession

• Secondary succession occurs after a significant disruption like fire or flood
• Existing soil remains, and pioneer species quickly return the ecosystem to its prior state
• Takes less time (50-200) years compared to primary succession

Species

• Species are groups of organisms capable of interbreeding naturally
• Species represent the largest possible gene pool

Sustainability

• Sustainability is the ability of something to last

Parasitism

• One organism benefits while the other is harmed

Mutualism

• Both organisms benefit

Predation

• One organism hunts and kills another for food

Commensalism

• One organism benefits, with no impact on the other

Decomposers

• Decomposers break down dead organisms, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem (e.g. bacteria and fungi)

Optimum Range

• Optimum range are the ideal conditions for organisms, and processes operate most effectively

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity measures the variety of life forms within a habitat or on Earth, including different species, ecosystems, and genotypic variations

Test your knowledge on the concepts of biotic and abiotic factors, various biomes, the atmosphere, and the biosphere. This quiz will help you understand the complex interactions within ecosystems and the classifications of living organisms.