chapter 4

Question 1

what is an ecological niche?

Answer 1

the role an organism plays in a community

Question 2

what are the transition areas between ecosystems called?

Answer 2

ecotones

Question 3

what are the 4 (main) types of biomes?

Answer 3

tundra, desert, grasslands, and taiga

Question 4

which biome includes coldness, high precipitation, dry, etc.

Answer 4

taiga/boreal forest

Question 5

which biome includes dryness, hotness, little rainfall, etc.

Answer 5

desert biome

Question 6

which biome includes, high vegetation, few trees, grass/flowers, etc

Answer 6

grassland biome

Question 7

which biome includes permafrost, extremely low temp, poor precipitation, etc.

Answer 7

tundra biome

Question 8

what are the zones of a lake called?

Answer 8

littoral, limnetic, and profundal zones

Question 9

what is the brightest and most productive lake zone?

Answer 9

littoral zone

Question 10

what is the “medium zone” or the second-most productive zone of the lake?

Answer 10

limnetic zone

Question 11

what is the least productive zone of a lake?

Answer 11

profundal zone

Question 12

what is birth potential?

Answer 12

the maximum number of offspring per birth

Question 13

what is the capacity for survival?

Answer 13

the number of offspring that reach reproductive age

Question 14

what is breeding frequency?

Answer 14

the number of times that a species reproduces

Question 15

what is the length of reproductive life?

Answer 15

the age of sexual maturity, and how long they can reproduce

Question 16

what are the limiting factors against biotic potential?

Answer 16

amount of food, water, space, etc.

Question 17

what are abiotic factors?

Answer 17

the non-living part of an environment

Question 18

what are biotic factors?

Answer 18

the living part of an environment

Question 19

what is an example of abiotic factors?

Answer 19

air, soil, temperature, water, pH, etc

Question 20

what is an example of biotic factors?

Answer 20

animals, plants/fungi, bacteria, etc

Question 21

what occurs in lakes during the fall and spring?

Answer 21

turnover

Question 22

what is turnover?

Answer 22

the seasonal mixing of the entire water column

Question 23

what is eutrophication?

Answer 23

a lake that is high in both nutrients and biological oxygen demand

Question 24

what is oligotrophic?

Answer 24

a lake that is low in both biological oxygen demand and nutrients

Question 25

what are the characteristics of a eutrophic lake?

Answer 25

shallow, murky, warm, lots of photosynthesis, etc

Question 26

what are the characteristics of an oligotrophic lake?

Answer 26

deep, cold, clear, limited organisms, etc

Question 27

what is biological oxygen demand?

Answer 27

the amount of oxygen needed by decomposers to completely break down organic matter

Question 28

what is coliform bacteria?

Answer 28

bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals and indicates fecal matter/disease

Question 29

why is coliform bacteria important?

Answer 29

Its presence indicates dangerous diseases in both humans and animals

Question 30

what is carrying capacity?

Answer 30

the maximum number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support

Question 31

what is clear-cutting?

Answer 31

the removal of all trees within a given area

Question 32

what is selective cutting?

Answer 32

only certain tree types are harvested in an area

Question 33

what is the "slash and burn" method?

Answer 33

the complete clearing of a forest and burning of trees

Question 34

which biome includes slow decomposition, little organic matter, permafrost, etc

Answer 34

slow decomposition, little organic matter,

Question 35

what is a plant species or an animal species that is non-native?

Answer 35

exotic/invasive species

Question 36

what are density-independent factors?

Answer 36

affects a population regardless of population density

Question 37

what are density-dependant factors?

Answer 37

affects a population based on population density

Question 38

what is an example(s) of density-dependant factors?

Answer 38

weather, fire, flood, drought, climate change, etc (abiotic)

Question 39

what is an example(s) of density-independent factors?

Answer 39

food supply, water supply, disease, predators, etc