Tropic Like It's Hot
You Otter Know
Storm the Ecosystem
Seal of Approval
Final Jeopardy
100
Daily Double!
Organisms that capture energy from sunlight and make their own food form the base of every ecosystem.
What are producers?
100
This is the term for a species that has an unusually large effect on the balance of its ecosystem.
What is a keystone species?
100
This is the term for the current conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature and precipitation.
What is weather?
100
This will not be a Jeopardy-style answer.
In what ways can extreme weather events—like floods, droughts, or hurricanes—affect biodiversity within a biome?
Example of a response.
Extreme weather can destroy habitats and change which species can survive in a biome. Floods can drown plants and animals or wash away soil and nutrients, while droughts can dry up water sources and kill plants that other organisms depend on. Hurricanes can knock down trees and change coastlines, forcing animals to move or die. These events reduce biodiversity because fewer species can survive the new conditions.
200
This word describes large geographic regions with similar climates, plants, and animals.
What is a biome?
200
This happens to an ecosystem when a keystone species is removed.
What is an ecosystem collapse or imbalance?
200
This is the average pattern of weather over a long period of time in a particular region.
What is climate?
200
This will not be a Jeopardy-style answer.
How might introducing a new predator or invasive species disrupt the balance of an established ecosystem?
Example answer:
Introducing a new predator or invasive species can upset the balance of an ecosystem by changing food webs and competition. The new species might eat too many native animals or take over their resources, causing some native species to die out. This can lead to a chain reaction where other plants and animals are also affected, reducing biodiversity and stability in the ecosystem.
300
A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
$100 Bonus points if you can name one example.
What is an adaptation?
300
This term describes a species that physically builds or shapes its habitat, like a beaver or coral.
What is a foundation species?
300
This tool measures air pressure and helps predict changes in the weather.
What is a barometer?
300
This will not be a Jeopardy-style answer.
How does the climate and weather of a biome determine what types of plants and animals can survive there? What adaptations might they have?
Example answer:
The climate and weather of a biome decide which plants and animals can live there because temperature, rainfall, and seasons affect how organisms get food and water. For example, desert animals have adaptations like storing water or being active at night to avoid heat, while plants have thick stems or small leaves to keep water in. In cold biomes, animals grow thick fur and plants stay low to the ground to survive freezing temperatures.
300
The value of this question depends on how many points you wager.
If Alabama’s climate became significantly drier over time, what changes would you expect to see in its biomes, keystone species, and biodiversity?
400
What biome does Demopolis, Alabama exist in?
What is temperate deciduous forest?
400
Daily Double!
This Alabama reptile is a keystone because its burrows shelter more than 350 other species.
(It is also federally protected as an endangered species!)
What is the Gopher Tortoise?
400
This is the main source of energy that drives all weather on Earth.
What is the sun?
400
This will not be a Jeopardy-style answer.
Daily Double!!
If a keystone species were removed from its ecosystem, what changes might you expect to see in population balance and habitat structure? Be specific.
If a keystone species were removed, the populations of other organisms would become unbalanced. For example, if alligators disappeared from Alabama wetlands, fish and turtle numbers might rise too much, while species that use alligator holes for shelter would die out. Over time, the habitat itself would change—plants could overgrow or water quality could drop—causing the entire ecosystem to lose biodiversity and stability.
500
This is the main reason deserts and rainforests have very different plant and animal life.
What is precipitation?
500
Name at least 2 Alabama keystone species.
What is _____ ?
To name a few:
American beaver
Big Eared Bat
Coral
Tiger Shark
Long Leaf Pine
Monarch Butterfly
Great Horned Owl
Gopher Tortoise
Gulf Shrimp
Oysters
Muscles
Fungi of many species
500
This rotating low-pressure system forms over warm ocean water and can cause major coastal damage.
What is a hurricane?
Who knows the name of the current hurricane in the news? Bonus points opportunity, $100.
500
This will not be a Jeopardy-style answer.
How can human actions in one biome (like deforestation in a rainforest or wetland) cause ripple effects that impact other ecosystems or even global weather patterns?
When humans cut down forests or drain wetlands, it doesn’t just affect the local area — it changes how energy and water move through the environment. Deforestation reduces the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide, which increases greenhouse gases and contributes to global warming. It also changes rainfall patterns and can lead to droughts or flooding in other regions. These changes affect other ecosystems around the world by altering climate, destroying habitats, and reducing biodiversity.