BIOTIC OR ABIOTIC?
A rabbit belongs to this category of ecosystem factors.
Biotic
Question: This is the scientific term for a single living thing.
Organism
Plants depend on this abiotic energy source.
Sunlight
This is a long period with very little rainfall.
Drought
Scientists gather information about an ecosystem by carefully doing this.
Making observations
Temperature belongs to this category of ecosystem factors.
Abiotic
Organisms interacting with each other and the nonliving surroundings form this.
Ecosystem
A frog eats insects. This demonstrates this type of ecosystem relationship.
Interdependence
Pollution entering a pond may reduce this measure of how healthy or clean the water is.
Water quality
Scientists should use this to support their conclusions.
Evidence
Grass, fungi, and deer all belong to this category.
Biotic factors
This term means the variety of living organisms in an area.
Biodiversity
If insect populations decrease, insect-eating frogs may have less of this.
Food
Cloudy water can block some of this from reaching aquatic plants.
Sunlight
A scientist measures plant height every week. These measurements are called this.
Data
Water, sunlight, temperature, and rocks are all examples of these.
Abiotic factors
This term means responsible care for natural environments and resources.
Stewardship
Explain one way a change in an abiotic factor could affect a biotic factor.
Answers vary. Example: Less rainfall can reduce plant growth because plants have less water.
If native plants disappear, animals may lose these two important resources.
Food and shelter
Why should scientists observe an ecosystem more than once?
To identify patterns or changes over time and gather stronger evidence.
A pond's temperature rises and its frog population decreases. Identify the abiotic factor and the biotic factor.
Temperature = abiotic; frogs = biotic.
This term describes the way organisms and ecosystem components depend on one another.
Interdependence
Create a three-step ecosystem ripple effect beginning with “less rainfall."
Answers vary. Example: Less rainfall → less pond water → fewer aquatic plants → fewer animals that depend on the plants.
Soil washes into a pond, making the water cloudy. Less sunlight reaches aquatic plants. Predict the next reasonable effect.
Aquatic plant growth may decrease.
A scientist wants to investigate whether reduced water affects plant growth. What should the scientist observe or measure?
Plant growth over time under different water conditions.