Earth Spheres
Name all spheres
Atmosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere
What "enters" a system
input
What is a habitat
The place where an organism lives
Term for two organisms seek the same limited resource
Both organisms benefit
Mutualism, +/+
Which sphere contains soil and rocks
Geosphere
What does a boundary do
Separate the selected system from its surroundings
What is a niche
A species' role and way of using resources
A rabbit eats grass
Herbivore
One benefits; one is unaffected
Commensalism, +/0
Classify a cloud and explain your choice
Atmosphere because it is in the air; also contains hydrosphere water droplets
Observation or inference: The soil probably feels damp
List 4 basic resources
Food, water, shelter, space
A lion captures a zebra.
What is the predator and what is the prey
Predator - lion
Prey - zebra
One benefits; the host is harmed
Parasitism, +/-
Give one hydrosphere-geosphere interaction
Ex: rain or river water erodes soil/rock
State one limitation of a classroom model
Airflow, people, time, energy use, etc
Raccoon: generalist or specialist
Generalist; it uses many foods and conditions
Two deer of the same species seek food. What type of competition
Intraspecific competition
Bee receives nectar and flower is pollinated
Mutualism, +/+
Explain how all 4 spheres interact in a growing plant
Air/CO2, water, soil/minerals, and the living plant interact
What makes feedback different from cause and effect
An output influences the system again
Predict one effect if a specialist loses its main food
It may decline, migrate, reproduce less, or die because it has few alternatives
Coyote numbers decrease. Predict an indirect effect on grass through rabbits
Rabbits may increase, causing less grass
Why must you describe both organisms classifying symbiosis
The category depends on the effect on each organism, not apperance