Biogeography

Question 1

Biogeography

Answer 1

The study of the distribution of plants and animals (biota) across space and time, combining both ecological and historical perspectives

Question 2

Ecology

Answer 2

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment, foundational for understanding species distributions in biogeography

Question 3

Ecosystems

Answer 3

Functional systems of interacting organisms and their physical environment, where energy and nutrients cycle through producers, consumers, and decomposers

Question 4

Biome

Answer 4

A large geographic biotic unit characterized by a specific climate, vegetation type, and animal life (e.g., tundra, rainforest)

Question 5

Formation Class

Answer 5

A vegetation classification system grouping plant communities by structure, like forest, grassland, or desert

Question 6

Habitat

Answer 6

The specific environment where an organism lives, including biotic and abiotic factors

Question 7

Macrohabitat

Answer 7

Large-scale habitat influencing broader ecological zones (e.g., a whole forest)

Question 8

Microhabitat

Answer 8

Smaller, localized environments within a macrohabitat (e.g., under a log or leaf)

Question 9

Niche

Answer 9

The role an organism plays in its ecosystem, including its habitat, interactions, and energy use

Question 10

Biodiversity

Answer 10

The variety of life in all its forms, from genes and species to ecosystems; essential in biogeography for understanding patterns of life

Question 11

Principle of Limiting Factors

Answer 11

The idea that the factor in shortest supply controls population growth and distribution

Question 12

Open Forest Structure

Answer 12

A forest type where trees are spaced apart, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground (e.g., savannas)

Question 13

Closed Forest Structure

Answer 13

Dense tree canopy blocks most light, leading to limited undergrowth (e.g., tropical rainforests)

Question 14

Plant Community

Answer 14

A group of plant species living together and interacting in the same environment

Question 15

Ecotone

Answer 15

A transitional zone between two biomes or ecosystems where species from both communities mix

Question 16

Plant Succession

Answer 16

The natural, sequential development of plant communities over time in a given area

Question 17

Pioneer Community

Answer 17

The first plant species to colonize a barren or disturbed area during succession

Question 18

Climax Community

Answer 18

The stable, final stage in ecological succession with a balanced and self-perpetuating ecosystem

Question 19

Photosynthesis

Answer 19

The process by which plants convert solar energy, CO2, and water into carbohydrates and oxygen

Question 20

Transpiration

Answer 20

The release of water vapor from plant leaves into the atmosphere, important in the water cycle

Question 21

Respiration

Answer 21

The process by which organisms convert carbohydrates and oxygen into energy, CO2, and water

Question 22

Stomata

Answer 22

Tiny openings on plant leaves where gas exchange (CO2 in, O2 and water vapor out) occurs

Question 23

Capillary Lag

Answer 23

The delay in water movement through fine soil pores due to surface tension, influencing soil moisture availability

Question 24

Net Biomass Productivity

Answer 24

The amount of energy or biomass produced by plants after subtracting what is used in respiration

Question 25

Trophic Levels

Answer 25

Levels in a food chain or web that describe the position an organism occupies (e.g., producer, consumer)

Question 26

Food Chain

Answer 26

A linear sequence showing who eats whom in an ecosystem

Question 27

Primary Producer

Answer 27

Organisms (typically plants and algae) that produce energy-rich compounds through photosynthesis

Question 28

Consumers

Answer 28

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms (includes herbivores, carnivores, omnivores)

Question 29

Decomposers

Answer 29

Organisms (like fungi and bacteria) that break down dead material and recycle nutrients

Question 30

First Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 30

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed; critical to understanding energy flow in ecosystems

Question 31

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 31

Energy transformations are inefficient--some energy is lost as heat in every transfer; explains energy loss in food chains

Question 32

Food Web

Answer 32

A complex network of feeding interactions in an ecosystem, showing how organisms are interconnected