Environmental Science Exam 2/12

What is the biosphere?

Any living organism on Earth, such as a sunflower

What is the hydrosphere?

All water on Earth, like oceans, lakes, and rivers

What is the geosphere?

The solid part of Earth, such as mountains or rock

What is the atmosphere?

The gases surrounding Earth, including air

What is the cryosphere?

The portion of Earth’s surface where water is solid, including sea ice, glaciers, and snow

What are abiotic factors?

Non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight and temperature

What is a population in ecology?

A group of organisms of the same species found in on areas at a given time

What is quantitative data?

Data that involves numerical values, such as rainfall measurements

What is a habitat?

The place where an organism lives

What is a fundamental niche?

The entire set of conditions under which a species can survive

What is a realized niche?

The actual space a series occupies due to limiting factors like competition

What is a specialist species?

A species with a highly limited diet or requirements, like koalas eating mostly eucalyptus

Where do autotrophs get their energy?

From sunlight (photosynthesis) or inorganic chemical reactions (chemosynthesis)

What is a producer in a food chain?

An organism that makes its own food, like a sunflower

What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

A food chain is a single linear path of energy while a food web is a complex network of interconnected chains

In a food chain, which way does she arrow point?

Toward the consumer, it shows the direction of energy flowing

What happens to thermal energy as it moves through trophic levels?

Energy is released as heat

How do decomposers and scavengers help ecosystems?

They break down dead matter to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem

How much energy is transferred from one trophic levels to the next?

Only about 10%

What is parasitism?

A relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other, like a vine harming a tree

What is mutualism?

A relationship where both species benefit, like a bird cleaning a crocodile’s teeth

What is camouflage as a prey adaptation?

Blending into the environment to avoid detection

What is warning coloration?

Bright colors that signal a species is toxic or dangerous to eat.