Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
The Biosphere
Study Guide A
Answer Key
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
SECTION 1. LIFE IN THE EARTH
SYSTEM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
biosphere
hydrosphere
atmosphere
geosphere
biota
A, D, E = atmosphere, geosphere,
hydrosphere, in any order; B = biosphere;
C = biota
Gaia hypothesis
air
life
earth
water
SECTION 4. MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
SECTION 2. CLIMATE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
climate
microclimate
unevenly
temperate
polar zone
tropical zone
temperate zone
heating
smaller
cools
decreased
microclimate
climate
intertidal
neritic
bathyal
abyssal
b
c
Warm
Cool
seaweed
phytoplankton
zooplankton
SECTION 5. ESTUARIES AND
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
SECTION 3. BIOMES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Tropical; Temperate
coastal
less
Few
long, hot summers
b
d
deciduous
coniferous
canopy
tropical rain forest
grassland
desert
temperate forest
taiga
tundra
estuary
ocean
productive
salinity
floods
saturated by
filter pollutants from
littoral
limnetic
benthic
watershed
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
i
The Biosphere
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Section 1: Life in the Earth System
Study Guide A
KEY CONCEPT
The biosphere is one of Earth’s four interconnected systems.
VOCABULARY
biosphere
hydrosphere
biota
atmosphere
geosphere
MAIN IDEA: The biosphere is the portion of Earth that is inhabited by life.
Complete the table below by writing the name of the Earth system next
to its description.
Earth System
Description
1. _______________ All the living organisms on Earth and the land, air, and
water in which organisms live
2. _______________ All of Earth’s water, ice, and water vapor
3. _______________ The air blanketing Earth’s solid and liquid surface
4. _______________ Features of Earth’s surface, including continents and the
sea floor, and everything below Earth’s surface
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
5. The collection of living things that live in the biosphere is called
Earth’s _____________.
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Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
1
The Biosphere
Section 1: Life in the Earth System
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Study Guide A continued
6. Fill in the following diagram with the correct term. Choose from the following
terms: biosphere, biota, hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere.
A
B
C
D
E
MAIN IDEA: Biotic and abiotic factors interact in the biosphere.
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
7. The idea that Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere are cooperating
systems that yield a biosphere full of life is called the
________________________.
Vocabulary Check
Choose the word from the box below that best matches the Earth system.
air
water
_______________
8. atmosphere
_______________
9. biosphere
earth
life
_______________ 10. geosphere
_______________ 11. hydrosphere
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
2
The Biosphere
Section 1: Life in the Earth System
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Section 2: Climate
Study Guide A
KEY CONCEPT
Climate is a key abiotic factor that affects the biosphere.
VOCABULARY
climate
microclimate
MAIN IDEA: Climate is the prevailing weather of a region.
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
1. An area’s long-term pattern of weather conditions defines its _____________.
2. The climate specific to a small area is called a _________________________.
MAIN IDEA: Earth has three climate zones.
Circle the word that best completes the sentence.
3. Earth’s tilt on its axis is the main reason why the surface of Earth is heated
evenly / unevenly by the Sun.
4. Earth’s tilt on its axis leads to summer and winter seasons in the
temperate / tropical climate zone.
Complete the following chart by filling in the blanks with the name of the
correct climate zone.
Zone
Location
Characteristics
5. ___________
___________
Areas near Earth’s North and
South Poles
Usually cold, often below
freezing
6. ___________
___________
Area near Earth’s equator
Usually warm and moist
7. ___________
___________
Areas that lie between Earth’s Summer and winter seasons
equatorial and polar regions
of about equal length
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
3
The Biosphere
Section 2: Climate
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Study Guide A continued
Circle the word that best completes the sentence.
8. The heating / cooling effect of sunlight creates currents of movement in air
and water.
9. Coastal areas have smaller / larger changes in temperature than inland areas,
because water does not change temperature as quickly as land masses.
10. Warm, moist air rises as it nears the side of a mountain. As the air rises, it
cools / heats, which results in precipitation on the windward side of the
mountain.
11. A rain shadow is an area of decreased / increased precipitation.
Vocabulary Check
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
12. The average temperature and humidity inside a gopher burrow differs from the
average temperature and humidity above ground. The gopher’s burrow is an
example of a ________________________.
13. Average temperature, water, sunlight, and wind determine a region’s
__________________.
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Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
4
The Biosphere
Section 2: Climate
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Section 3: Biomes
Study Guide A
KEY CONCEPT
Biomes are land-based, global communities of organisms.
VOCABULARY
canopy
coniferous
grassland
taiga
desert
tundra
deciduous
chaparral
MAIN IDEA: Earth has six major biomes.
Complete the chart by filling in the name of the biome that best fits
each description.
Biome
Description
1. ___________
Warm temperatures, abundant rainfall year-round
Lush forests with thick treetop layers that are home to a huge
variety of species
__________
2. ___________
Dominated by grasses with scattered trees and shrubs
Definite dry season during the warm months of the year
Habitat for large hoofed animals and for burrowing animals
3. ___________
Dry climate, plants that are adapted to store water,
many animals are nocturnal to avoid daytime heat
4. ___________
Dominated by coniferous or deciduous forests
Some forests have hot summers and cold winters; others
have a long wet season and dry summers
__________
5. ___________
Long, cold winters and short, cold summers
Dominated by coniferous trees and furry mammals
6. ___________
Long winters with below-zero temperatures and little
precipitation
Ground is permanently frozen
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
5
The Biosphere
Section 3: Biomes
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Study Guide A continued
Circle the word that best completes the sentence.
7. Tropical / Temperate grasslands have a wet season and a dry season.
Tropical / Temperate grasslands have a dry summer and a wet late spring and
early summer.
8. A semi-arid / coastal desert has cool winters followed by long, warm
summers.
9. A temperate deciduous forest has more / less precipitation than a temperate
rain forest.
10. Few / Many plants grow in the tundra because of a layer of frozen soil called
permafrost.
11. One of the main characteristics of chaparral is long, hot summers / warm, wet
summers.
MAIN IDEA: Polar ice caps and mountains are not considered biomes.
Circle the letter of the phrase that best completes the sentence.
12. Polar ice caps are not considered biomes because they have __________.
a. too much ice
b. no soil or specific plant community
c. no plant communities
d. a climate that changes with elevation
13. Mountains are not considered biomes because they have _________.
a. too much ice
b. no soil or specific plant community
c. no plant communities
d. a climate that changes with elevation
Vocabulary Check
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
14. A(n) ___________________ tree loses its leaves in the autumn.
15. A(n) ___________________ tree keeps its needles all year long.
16. The uppermost branches of trees form a(n) _________________.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
6
The Biosphere
Section 3: Biomes
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Section 4: Marine Ecosystems
Study Guide A
KEY CONCEPT
Marine ecosystems are global.
VOCABULARY
intertidal zone
abyssal zone
phytoplankton
neritic zone
plankton
coral reef
bathyal zone
zooplankton
kelp forest
MAIN IDEA: The ocean can be divided into zones.
Complete the following table by filling in the name of the ocean zone that best fits
each description.
Zone
Depth
Description
1. ___________
Between high and low
tide lines
Organisms adapted to tolerate
changing water levels,
temperature, and salinity
2. ___________
0 to 200 meters
Extends from the intertidal zone
to the edge of the continental
shelf
3. ___________
200 to 2000 meters
Murky water; fish adapted to
high pressure; little or no
sunlight
4. ___________
Below 2000 meters
No sunlight; deep sea vents with
chemosynthetic organisms; some
organisms make their own light
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
7
The Biosphere
Section 4: Marine Ecosystems
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Study Guide A continued
Circle the letter of the phrase that best completes the sentence.
5. The ocean zone that has the most biomass is the __________.
a. intertidal
b. neritic
c. bathyal
d. abyssal
6. The organisms that carry out most of the photosynthesis on Earth are
__________.
a. intertidal
b. zooplanktion
c. phytoplankton
d. bathyal
MAIN IDEA: Coastal waters contain unique habitats.
Circle the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
7. Warm / Cool temperatures are a primary characteristic of coral reef habitat.
8. Warm / Cool temperatures are a primary characteristic of kelp forests.
9. Kelp is a seaweed / type of plankton.
Vocabulary Check
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
10. Photosynthetic plankton are called ______________________.
11. Animal plankton are called _________________________.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
8
The Biosphere
Section 4: Marine Ecosystems
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Section 5: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems
Study Guide A
KEY CONCEPT
Freshwater ecosystems include estuaries as well as flowing and standing water.
VOCABULARY
estuary
littoral zone
watershed
limnetic zone
benthic zone
MAIN IDEA: Estuaries are dynamic environments where rivers flow into the
ocean.
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase from the box that best completes
the sentence.
estuary
freshwater
productive
floods
ocean
salinity
1. A(n) _______________ is a partially enclosed body of water formed where a
river flows into an ocean.
2. The distinctive feature of an estuary is the mixture of fresh water from a river
and salt water from a(n) ________________.
3. Estuaries are considered to be highly ________________ ecosystems that
provide habitat for many species, from plankton and detritivores to migrating
birds and many threatened and endangered species.
4. Organisms that live in estuaries must be adapted for changing
_____________ levels.
5. The removal of an estuary can make coastal areas vulnerable to ____________
and hurricanes.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
9
The Biosphere
Section 5: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems
Name ______________________________ Class___________________Date__________________
Study Guide A continued
MAIN IDEA: Freshwater ecosystems include moving and standing water.
Circle the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
6. Wetlands are areas of land saturated by / without water for at least part
of the year.
7. Wetlands filter pollutants from / add pollutants to water and restore
underground water supplies.
MAIN IDEA: Ponds and lakes share common features.
Complete the following chart by naming the different zones described.
Zone
Location
Description
8. ___________
Between high and low water
marks along the shoreline
Plenty of sunlight, warm
and shallow
9. ___________
Open water farther out from
shore
Abundant plankton
10. ___________
Bottom of a lake or pond
Less sunlight, decomposers
live in the mud and sand
Vocabulary Check
Fill in the blank with the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
11. A region of land that drains into a river, a river system, or another body of
water is a _________________.
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Holt McDougal Biology
Study Guide A
10
The Biosphere
Section 5: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems