Biomes & BGC
This terrestrial biome is characterized by its very low average temperature, permafrost, and low-growing vegetation.
What is the Tundra?
The term for an individual's specific location, or the physical environment, where it lives.
What is habitat?
The total number of different species present in a specific area.
What is species richness?
The general term for a self-regulating unit of biotic organisms interacting with their abiotic environment.
What is an ecosystem?
The defense mechanism demonstrated by a herd of elephants gathering to protect their young from predators.
What is a behavioral defense mechanism?
This process is in the water cycle and is where water is carried through plants' roots to their leaves, then changes to vapor and is released into the atmosphere.
What is transpiration?
An "S-shaped" population growth curve indicates that growth has slowed and leveled off at this maximum sustainable population size.
What is the carrying capacity?
The phenomenon where two similar species use different parts of the same resource (e.g., one bird feeds in the canopy, another on the floor) to minimize direct competition.
What is niche partitioning?
The percentage of energy typically transferred from one trophic level to the next.
What is 10%?
The process where some fish are eaten by a bird because they are less camouflaged, leading to an increase in better-camouflaged fish.
What is Differential Survival?
This biogeochemical cycle is unique because it lacks a significant atmospheric gaseous phase and mostly takes place on land.
What is the Phosphorus cycle?
A limiting factor, such as a severe flood or forest fire, that restricts population growth regardless of the population's size.
What is a density-independent factor?
The specific role an organism plays within its ecosystem, encompassing all its interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.
What is a niche?
The type of succession that occurs when the soil is removed or non-existent, such as after a volcanic eruption or on bare rock.
What is primary succession?
The type of natural selection where both extreme phenotypes (like very small and very large beaks) are favored over the intermediate phenotype.
What is Disruptive selection?
A large region characterized by broad-leaved trees that shed their leaves annually. They do not keep their leaves through the winter.
What is the Temperate Deciduous Forest?
The mathematical model that represents population growth when resources are unlimited and results in a "J-shaped" curve.
What is the exponential model?
The total variety of different species within a given area, accounting for both the number of species and their relative abundance.
What is species diversity?
The GSMNP experienced this type of succession after the 2016 wildfires.
What is secondary succession?
The type of natural selection that favors individuals at one extreme of the phenotypic distribution, causing the average trait value to shift over time (e.g., selection for taller plants).
What is Directional selection?
This biome is classified as a hot, humid, and flourishing dense forest, usually found around the equator.
What is the Tropical Rainforest?
A factor, such as competition or disease spread, where its impact on a population increases as the population density increases.
What is a density-dependent factor?
This type of population control describes the impact of predators on prey and, subsequently, the effect on primary producers.
What is top-down control?
In an energy pyramid, if the producers have 50,000J the organisms at the secondary consumer level would have this much energy available.
What is 500 J?
50,000 to 5,000 to 500.
The two-word process that describes a non-native species establishing itself in a new area and living in balance with the native species.
What is coexisting?