Term
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Definition
| All of the living and non-living things in an area and their interactions |
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Term
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Definition
| A place that provides all the things an organism needs to live |
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Definition
| A group of organisms of one species that live in an area at the same time |
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Definition
| Different populations in an area that depend on one another to fill needs, such as food and shelter |
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Term
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Definition
| The role that an organism has in an ecosystem. (Ex: The niche of northern pygmy owl is a hunter) |
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Term
| What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors? |
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Definition
| Biotic factors are all the living organisms in an ecosystem. Abiotic factors are the nonliving parts an ecosystem |
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Term
| What are the different types of ecosystems (aka biomes)? |
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Definition
| Coral Reef, Tropical Rain Forrest, Desert, Tundra, Taiga, Wetland, Prairie, and Mixed-Forrest |
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Term
What are some characteristics of
Coral Reef? |
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Definition
| organisms that can live in warm, clear, shallow water – color animals such as clown fish, anemones, and sponges live here. Reef made up mostly of skeletons of dead coral animals |
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Term
What are some characteristics of
Tropical Rain Forrest? |
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Definition
| organisms that live here have traits that help them survive in warm rainy climates all year long. High amount of moisture in the air allow other plants to grow on trees, not in the soil. Butterflies, tree frogs, monkeys, and parrots are some animals that live in this ecosystem |
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Term
What are some characteristics of
Desert? |
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Definition
| Little Rain, Most have hot days and cool nights, some have sand dunes, some are rocky, and others are covered in a layer of salt. Organisms there have traits that help them survive the hot dry conditions. Plants like cactuses can store water in their stems, when it rains. To deal with hot temperatures, many animals rest during the day. Animals such as coyotes, desert tortoises, lizards, and rattlesnakes live in US deserts. |
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Term
| What are some characteristics of Tundra? |
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Definition
| Organisms have traits to help them survive the cold weather with little rain. Many animals have thick fur coats. Most are found in northern areas of Earth or high up in the mountains. Rodents, rabbits, and caribou feed on small plants and grasses. Weasels, polar bears, and foxes also live there. |
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Term
| What are some characteristics of Taiga? |
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Definition
| Trees such as fir, spruce, and hemlock. Taiga has harsh. Long. Cold winters, and most land has soil low in nutrients. Some small animals such as squirrels, birds, and insects, eat berries and the seeds of trees. Larger animals such as elk and moose eat tree bark and young plants. Predators such as hawks and grizzly bears eat other animals. |
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Term
| What are some characteristics of Wetland? |
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Definition
| Water partly covers the land during at least part of the year. Trees such as the mangrove, and some grasses are able to grow in the salty water. Some animals that live there may include many types of birds, snakes, and variety of insects. Found along all coasts of the US. Characteristics vary depending on location. |
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Term
| What are some characteristics of Prairie? |
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Definition
| Found through Midwest and Great Plains. Do not receive enough rain to support many large trees but have nutrient rich soil that is excellent for farming. Tall grasses and small plants cover the land. Some of the largest animals on land such as bison live here. Also common are coyotes, prairie dogs and grasshoppers. |
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Term
| What are some characteristics of Mixed-Forrest? |
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Definition
| Home to many types of trees and animals. Trees such as oak, maple, and beech lose their leaves in the winter. AS leaves decompose they return nutrients to the soil. Shrubs and small plants grow here. Songbirds, deer, bears, and raccoons are common animals. Many hibernate in the winter. Many birds migrate to warmer areas for the winter. |
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Term
| What is carrying capacity? |
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Definition
| The number of organisms that can live in a habitat |
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Term
| What factors limit carrying capacity? |
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Definition
Amount of food
Water
Space
Shelter |
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Term
| What happens if carrying capacity is exceeded? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| An animal that hunts and eats another animal |
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Term
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Definition
| An animal that is hunted by others for food |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that make their own food for energy |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that cannot make their own food |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that eat both plants and animals |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that eat only plants |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that eat only other animals |
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Term
| How are food webs and food chains similar? |
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Definition
| They use arrows to show the energy relationships among organisms |
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Term
| How are food webs and food chains different? |
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Definition
| Food web is a combination of many food chains |
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Term
| What does the arrow show in a food web or food chain? |
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Definition
| The energy relationships among organisms. It shows the path in which energy flows |
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Term
| What is the source of all energy in any food web or food chain? |
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Definition
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Term
| How do producers, consumers, and decomposers all help an ecosystem support the populations within it? |
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Definition
Producers - the food they make is often energy for other organisms
Consumers – eat food from producers
Decomposers – return materials to the ecosystem |
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Term
| For what do plant organisms compete? |
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Definition
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Term
| For what do animal organisms compete? |
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Definition
| territory, water, food, or mate |
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Term
| Why do organisms compete? |
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Definition
| They compete for things they need because there are limited resources |
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Term
| What happens if an organism can’t compete? |
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Definition
| May die or be forced to move away |
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Term
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Definition
| A long term relationship between two different organisms |
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Term
| What are some examples of symbiotic relationships? |
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Definition
Parasite is an organism that lives on or inside another organism
Shrimp eat parasites out of eel’s mouth |
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Term
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Definition
| All of the conditions surrounding an organism |
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Term
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Definition
| The struggle of organisms for the same limited resources |
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Term
| How do ecosystems change slowly? |
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Definition
| Seasons change, continents change position, rocks are slowly broken down by the weather, plants, and animals |
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Term
| What are some events that cause ecosystems to change quickly? |
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Definition
| Hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes |
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Term
| How do humans change ecosystems? |
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Definition
| Build building, roads, and burn fuel. Change the land when plant crops, build damns, fish to get food, clear forests to get construction material |
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Term
| How do other organisms change ecosystems? |
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Definition
| Feed, grow, and build their homes |
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Term
| What happens if organisms can’t adapt to changes in the ecosystems? |
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Definition
| They may have to move or die |
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Term
| What are some adaptations that plants and animals have to help them survive in their environments? |
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Definition
Plants – deeper roots can reach deeper water
Animal that run faster has a better chance of surviving an attack by a predator |
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Term
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Definition
| Any substances that damage the environment |
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Term
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Definition
| Attempt to preserve or protect an environment from harmful changes |
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Term
| What are nonnative species? |
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Definition
| Plant or animal that does not grow naturally in an ecosystem |
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Term
| What can happen when nonnative species are introduced into an area? |
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Definition
| They change the ecosystem permanently |
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Term
| What are some ways in which humans damage ecosystems? |
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Definition
| Too much hunting or fishing, pollution, upset the balance by bringing new plants or animals into the ecosystem |
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Term
| What are some ways humans help ecosystems? |
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Definition
| Put aside large areas for conservation, regulations on how much we can hunt or fish |
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