Topic 3

Question 1

all parts of earth in which life exists

Answer 1

biosphere

Question 2

the study of nature’s “houses,” organisms that live on those houses, and interactions based on energy and nutrients

Answer 2

ecology

Question 3

a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce offspring

Answer 3

species

Question 4

a group of individuals that belong to the same species and belong in the same area

Answer 4

population

Question 5

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact

Answer 5

biotic factors

Question 6

any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents, and soil type

Answer 6

abiotic factors

Question 7

includes all gases that surround earth

Answer 7

atmosphere

Question 8

consists of all earth’s freshwater and saltwater

Answer 8

hydrosphere

Question 9

includes rocks, continents, an the ocean floor

Answer 9

geosphere

Question 10

an assembledge of different populations that live together in a defined area

Answer 10

community

Question 11

all the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment

Answer 11

ecosystem

Question 12

average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time

Answer 12

climate

Question 13

day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation and other factors

Answer 13

weather

Question 14

process in which certain gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) trap sunlight energy in earth’s atmosphere as heat

Answer 14

greenhouse effect

Question 15

group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Answer 15

biome

Question 16

dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall rain forest trees

Answer 16

canopy

Question 17

layer in a rain forest found underneath the canopy; formed by shorter trees and vines

Answer 17

understory

Question 18

material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

Answer 18

humus

Question 19

a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

Answer 19

permafrost

Question 20

the sunlit region near the surface in which photosynthesis can occur

Answer 20

photic zone

Question 21

the zone where it is dark and photosynthesis cannot occur

Answer 21

aphotic zone

Question 22

the small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water

Answer 22

plankton

Question 23

an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface for at least part of the year

Answer 23

wetland

Question 24

wetland formed where a river meets the sea

Answer 24

estuary