Biomes
What is a biome?
A large naturally occurring community of plants and animals that occupy a major habitat.
What is a population?
All the organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time.
What do food chains show?
The feeding relationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers.
What is mutualism?
A relationship where both species help each other.
What is biotic potential?
The fastest possible rate a species can reproduce.
Name one type of forest biome.
Taiga Forest, Temperate Forest, or Rainforest.
What happens when more organisms are born than die?
The population grows.
Who are the producers in a food chain?
Organisms that gain their energy from the Sun using photosynthesis.
Give an example of commensalism.
A remora fish hitching a ride on a shark.
What are r-selected species?
Species that have lots of babies, short lives, and don't take care of their young much.
What characterizes a desert biome?
Very dry areas with little rainfall, can be hot or cold.
Describe exponential growth in a population.
When a population grows faster and faster, like doubling each time.
What is the difference between herbivores and carnivores?
Herbivores eat plants, while carnivores eat animals.
What is parasitism?
A relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other.
What is logistic growth?
Population growth that slows down as it approaches carrying capacity.
What are the two main types of the aquatic biome?
Freshwater and Saltwater.
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of organisms that can live in an area.
What do arrows in a food chain represent?
The direction of energy flow between organisms.
Define intraspecific relationships.
Relationships between organisms of the same species.
What happens during a population overshoot?
The population goes way over carrying capacity, causing many organisms to die (dieback).
Why are biomes important?
They help us understand Earth's ecosystems, are important for conservation efforts, and affect global climate patterns.
What are density-dependent limiting factors?
Factors affected by how crowded the population is, such as disease.
Explain the importance of food webs.
They show all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
What is the role of predators in an ecosystem?
Predators hunt other animals for food.
What challenges might we face when reaching Earth's carrying capacity?
We might level off naturally, find new solutions, or face serious challenges.