Vocab
This is anything that controls the growth of a population
What is a limiting factor?
This is a group of interacting populations living in the same place at the same time
What is a community?
This is the largest level of organization in biology
What is the Biosphere (entire planet)?
This is a system of organization in which different levels are ranked according to size or superiority
What is a hierarchy?
This biome has the shortest growing season and is dominated by mosses and lichens
What is the Tundra Biome?
These are factors that affect all organisms equally, regardless of the number of organisms per unit of living area
What are density-independent factors?
This refers to highest number of organisms that an environment can support
What is the carrying capacity?
This is the definition of habitat fragmentation
What is 'the separation of a large ecosystem into smaller pieces?'
In this type of symbiosis, one organism benefits and the other is not harmed or helped
What is commensalism?
These are factors that affect organisms differently because of the number of organisms living per unit area
What are density-dependent factors?
These organisms play a crucial role in the ecosystem where they live and they play a large role in maintaining the biodiversity and the ecosystem itself; sometimes referred to as 'the glue holding ecosystems together'
What are keystone species?
These organisms create or modify habitat that is then used by other organisms
What are ecosystem engineers?
This term refers to the orderly way in which one community replaces another over time
What is ecological succession?
This biome includes all wetlands, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and bogs
What is the freshwater biome?
This term refers to how far apart (or how close together) organisms in a population live
What is spatial distribution?
Define a pioneer species and give two examples
What is 'the first group of organisms to colonize an area after a disturbance; fire ants, kudzu?'
What is 1) to grow and develop, 2) movement, 3) reproduction, 4) respond to stimuli, 5) maintain homeostasis, and 6) metabolize?
Define a disturbance and give two examples
What is 'any temporary or permanent change to the chemical or physical structure of the environment?' - examples: hurricane, forest fire, deforestation, oil spill, etc
List the major areas found in the marine biome
What are open ocean, coastal ocean, coral reefs, and intertidal zones?
Give both the names used to describe organisms that can make their own food
What are 1) autotrophs or 2) producers?
These are the basic characteristics of the Desert Biome
What is 'dominated by cactus plants, small, nocturnal animals (reptiles, frogs, mice, etc); deserts are classified based on ONLY their amount of annual rainfall?'
Define a decomposer and give two examples
What are 'organisms that feed on dead or decaying matter; bacteria and fungi?'
Define intraspecific competition and give an example
What is 'competition between two organisms that belong to the same species; example - two birds of paradise competing for a mate'
All forests can be classified into one of these three categories, based on their location in relation to the equator
What is 1) tropical, 2) temperate, or 3) boreal?
These are the two zones of the ocean classified on the basis of sunlight
What are the Photic and Aphotic zones?