Ch. 18

Question 1

biotic factors (example)

Answer 1

living components (deer, human, etc.)

Question 2

levels of organization

Answer 2

biosphere
ecosystem
communities
populations
organisms

Question 3

how organisms escape unsuitable conditions

Answer 3

migration-move, dormancy- enter state of reduced activity

Question 4

tolerance curves

Answer 4

range at which an organism is able to function

Question 5

niche

Answer 5

specific role, or way of life, of a species within its environment

Question 6

generalist (ex)

Answer 6

species with broad niches (opossum)

Question 7

producers (ex)

Answer 7

autotrophs that capture energy and use it to make new organic material (plants)

Question 8

consumers (ex)

Answer 8

obtain food by consuming organic compounds (herbivores,carnivores)

Question 9

net primary productivity

Answer 9

rate at which biomass accumulates

-only energy stored as biomass is available to other organisms

Question 10

interdependence/interconnectedness (example)

Answer 10

all organisms and the living and nonliving parts of the environment (birds and plants)

Question 11

tropic level

Answer 11

indicates the organism’s position in a sequence of energy transfers

Question 12

specialist (ex)

Answer 12

species with narrow niches (koala)

Question 13

food web

Answer 13

interrelated food chains in an ecosystem

Question 14

energy transfer

Answer 14

transfer of energy from one organism to another

~ on average 10% of total energy consumed is transfered

Question 15

components of biogeochemical cycles

Answer 15

water cycle, carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle

Question 16

water cycle

Answer 16

movement of water between various reserviors

• evaporation
• precipitation
• transpiration
• runoff
• groundwater
• percolation

Question 17

carbon cycle

Answer 17

~carbon is produced by cellular respiration, combustion, and decomposition
~carbon is used by photosynthesis

Question 18

nitrogen fixing bacteria

Answer 18

convert N2 to ammonia (so plants can use)

Question 19

nitrogen cycle

Answer 19

N2 in air cant be used by plants
nitrogen fixing bacteria
nitrification
ammonification
denitrification

Question 20

food chain

Answer 20

single pathway of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem that results in energy transfer

Question 21

abiotic factors (examples)

Answer 21

nonliving factors (temp.,light)

Question 22

ammonification

Answer 22

decomposers break down dead organisms and waste. release nitrogen as ammonia

Question 23

denitrification

Answer 23

anaerobic bacteria break down nitrate and release N2 gas back into the atmosphere

Question 24

Phosphorus cycle

Answer 24

• plants absorb P from the soil and animals obtain P

- returned from animals waste or when die and decompose

Question 25

why need nitrogen?

Answer 25

need to make nucleic acids and proteins

Question 26

why need phosphorus?

Answer 26

essential to form teeth, bones, DNA, etc

Question 27

method of fixing nitrogen (bacteria way-what called)

Answer 27

cyanobacteria

rhyzobium (rhizobium)

Question 28

most common (useable) form of nitrogen

Answer 28

NO3-

Question 29

acclimation

Answer 29

organisms can adjust their tolerance curve to abiotic factors (not adaptation)

Question 30

nitrification

Answer 30

bacteria use ammonia to produce nitrates (can be used by plants)

Question 31

conformers

Answer 31

change as environment changes (dont regulate internal environment)
Cold blooded

Question 32

importance of decomposers

Answer 32

• feed on dead animals and waste

- break down molecules and return to soil (recycle nutrients)

Question 33

regulators

Answer 33

dont change with environment

Question 34

why organisms need carbon?

Answer 34

to make carbohydrates