Homework - Environmental Science
Copy the questions. Answer in full sentences on a separate sheet of paper.
If the words are in parenthesis, you don’t need to copy them.
Aim 1: What are the levels of organization within an ecosystem?
Chapter 1 - Sect 1 Chapter 21 - Sect 1
School Text Pages - 16-21
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Home Text Pages - 704-708
What is a habitat? What is an ecosystem?
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What are biotic factors? List 2 and describe their importance.
What are abiotic factors? List 5 and describe their importance.
List and describe the 4 levels of organization in an ecosystem.
What is ecology and why is it important?
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Aim 2: What factors determine the size of a population?
Chapter 1 - Sect 2
School Text Pages - 23-28
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Chapter 21 - Sect 2
Home Text Pages - 711-718
What is population density? (and why is it important?)
How do scientists determine the size of a population?
What can cause populations to change size?
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What are limiting factors that can prevent a population from increasing?
What is the carrying capacity of an area? (Why is it important?)
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Aim 3: How do living things interact within an ecosystem?
Chapter 1 - Sect 3
School Text Pages - 31-38
1. What is natural selection? Why is it important?
Chapter 21 - Sect 3
Home Text Pages - 722-729

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How do an organism’s adaptations help it to survive?
Why can’t 2 species occupy the same niche?
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4. What is competition and why is it bad for an organism?
What is predation? Give examples. 5.
6. What are the 3 forms of symbiosis? List and describe them.
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Aim 4: What energy roles do organisms play in an ecosystem?
Chapter 2 - Sect 1 Chapter 22 - Sect 1
Home Text Pages - 740-745 School Text Pages - 44-50
1. List and describe 3 producers.
List and describe 5 consumers.
List and describe 3 decomposers.
What is a food chain or web? How are they important?
Why does the energy level go down as you go up the energy pyramid?
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Aim 5: What 4 major cycles enable life on earth to continue?
Chapter 2 - Sect 2 Chapter 22 - Sect 2
School Text Pages - 51-55
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Home Text Pages - 746-750
What are the 3 things that make up the water cycle?
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What is the carbon-oxygen cycle? (Why is this important?)
What is the nitrogen cycle? (Why is it important?)
How does nature “recycle” matter? (Why is this important?) 4.
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Aim 6: How does dispersal of organisms/seeds occur?
Chapter 2 - Sect 3 Chapter 22 - Sect 3
School Text Pages - 56-59 Home Text Pages - 752-755

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What is biogeography and why is it important?
What are the 3 means of dispersal (movement) for seeds and organisms?
What are 3 limits of dispersal of a species or seed?
How can humans disperse a species?
What are exotic species? Why can they be harmful to an existing ecosystem?
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Aim 7: What determines the type of biome in an area?
Chapter 2 - Sect 4 Chapter 22 - Sect 4
School Text Pages - 62-73
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Home Text Pages - 758-769
What determines they type of biome in an area?
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What are some adaptations that help an organism to live in the desert?
Why are there no tall trees in the tundra?
4. What are the 2 most diverse ecosystems on Earth? (1 on land, 1 is aquatic)
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Aim 8: What are primary and secondary succession?
Chapter 2 - Sect 5 Chapter 21 - Sect 4
School Text Pages - 76-78
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Home Text Pages - 730-733
What is primary succession? (Why is it an important process?)
What is a pioneer species? (Give examples)
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What is secondary succession? (Why is it an important process?)
What determines which particular species that will appear during succession?
5. Give 2 examples of natural disturbances and 2 examples of human disturbances result in secondary succession.
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