Biology Chapter 4
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4
Ecosystems and Communities
Section 4–1 The Role of Climate
(pages 87–89)
This section explains how the greenhouse effect maintains the biosphere’s temperature range. It also describes Earth’s three main climate zones.
What Is Climate?
(page 87)
1. How is weather different from climate?
Weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s
atmosphere at a particular time and place, while climate is the average, year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region.
2. What factors cause climate? Factors include the trapping of heat by the atmosphere, the transport of heat by winds and ocean currents, …show more content…
and the amount of precipitation that results. The shape and elevation of landmasses also contribute to global climate patterns.
The Greenhouse Effect
(page 87)
3. Circle the letter of the world’s insulating blanket.
a. oxygen
b. the atmosphere
c. the oceans
d. solar energy
4. Complete the illustration of the greenhouse effect by showing in arrows and words what happens to the sunlight that hits Earth’s surface. © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sunlight
Some heat escapes into space
Greenhouse gases trap some heat
Atmosphere
Earth’s surface
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
29
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
5. What effect do carbon dioxide, methane, and a few other atmospheric gases have on Earth’s temperature? They trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range.
6. What is the greenhouse effect?
It is the retention of heat by the layer of greenhouse gases.
The Effect of Latitude on Climate
(page 88)
7. Why does solar radiation strike different parts of Earth’s surface at an angle that varies throughout the year? Earth is a sphere that is tilted on its axis.
8. Circle the letter of where the sun is almost directly overhead at noon all year.
a. the North Pole
b. China
c. the equator
d. the South Pole
9. Why does Earth have different climate zones? It has different climate zones as a result of differences in latitude and thus the angle of heating.
10. Complete the table about Earth’s three main climate zones.
MAIN CLIMATE ZONES
Climate Zone
Location
Climate Characteristics
Polar zones
Areas around North and South poles
Cold areas
Temperate zones
Between the polar zones and the tropics
Ranges from hot to cold, depending on the season
Tropical zone
Near the equator
Almost always warm
(page 89)
11. What force drives winds and ocean currents? The unequal heating of Earth’s surface drives winds and ocean currents.
12. The process in which water rises toward the surface in warmer regions is called
upwelling
.
13. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about ocean currents.
a. Patterns of heating and cooling result in ocean currents.
b. Ocean currents transport heat within the biosphere.
c. Surface water moved by winds result in ocean currents.
d. Ocean currents have no effect on the climate of landmasses.
30
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Heat Transport in the Biosphere
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Section 4–2 What Shapes an Ecosystem?
Date ______________
(pages 90–97)
This section explains how biotic and abiotic factors influence an ecosystem. It also describes what interactions occur within communities and explains how ecosystems recover from a disturbance.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
(page 90)
1.
Complete the table about factors that influence ecosystems.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ECOSYSTEMS
Type of Factor
Definition
Examples
Biotic factors
Biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem
Birds, trees, mushrooms, bacteria; the whole ecological community
Abiotic factors
Physical, or nonliving, factors that shape ecosystems
Climate, wind, nutrient availability, soil type, sunlight
2. What do the biotic and abiotic factors together determine? Together they determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives. The Niche
(pages 91–92)
3. What is a niche? A niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions.
4. In what ways is food part of an organism’s niche? Its niche includes the type of food the
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
organism eats, how it obtains its food, and which other species use the organism for food.
5. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about niches.
a. Different species can share the same niche in the same habitat.
b. No two species can share the same niche in the same
habitat.
c. Two species in the same habitat have to share a niche to survive.
d. Different species can occupy niches that are very similar.
Community Interactions
(pages 92–93)
6. When does competition occur? It occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time.
7. What is a resource?
It is any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
31
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
8. What is often the result of direct competition in nature? There is often a winner and a loser, with the losing organism failing to survive.
9. What is the competitive exclusion principle?
No two species can occupy the same niche in
the same habitat at the same time.
10. What is predation? It is an interaction in which an organism captures and feeds on another organism. 11. When predation occurs, what is the organism called that does the killing and eating, and what is the food organism called? The one that kills and eats is called the predator, and the food organism is called the prey.
12. What is symbiosis? It is any relationship in which two species live closely together.
13. Complete the table about main classes of symbiotic relationships.
MAIN CLASSES OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Description of Relationship
Mutualism
Both species benefit from the relationship.
Commensalism
One member of the association benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Parasitism
One organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it.
14. The organism from which a parasite obtains nutritional needs is called a(an)
host
.
a. They generally weaken but do not kill their host.
b. They obtain all or part of their nutritional needs from the host.
c. They neither help nor harm the host.
d. They are usually smaller than the host.
Ecological Succession
(pages 94–97)
16. What is ecological succession? It is the series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time.
17. What is primary succession? It is succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists.
18. The first species to populate an area when primary succession begins are called
32
pioneer species
.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true of parasites.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
19. When a disturbance changes a community without removing the soil, what follows? Secondary succession follows.
20. An area that was once referred to as a climax community may appear to be permanent, but what might cause it to undergo change? Long-term climate change and introduction of nonnative species can profoundly affect
such a community.
Section 4–3 Land Biomes
(pages 98–105)
This section describes the unique characteristics of the world’s major land biomes. It also describes other land areas.
Introduction
(page 98)
1. What is a biome? It is a particular physical environment that contains a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals.
Climate and Microclimate
(page 98)
2. What does a climate diagram summarize? It summarizes a region’s climate, including temperature and precipitation.
3. Complete the climate diagram by adding labels to the bottom and both sides of the graph to show what the responding variables are.
Barrow, Alaska
Average Temperature (°C)
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
30
300
20
10
200
0
–10
100
– 20
Average Precipitation (mm)
400
40
0
– 30
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Month
4. On a climate diagram, what does the line plot and what do the vertical bars show? The line plots changes in temperature through the months of a year, and the vertical bars show the amount of precipitation each month of a year.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
33
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
5. What is a microclimate? It is a climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate around it.
The Major Biomes
(pages 99–103)
6. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about how each of the world’s major biomes is defined.
a. Each is defined by a unique set of abiotic factors.
b. Each has a characteristic ecological community.
c. Each is defined by the country it is in.
d. Each is particularly defined by climate.
Use the map in Figure 4–12 to match the biome with its geographic distribution.
Geographic Distribution
Biome
b
7. Tropical rain forest
c
8. Tundra
a
9. Boreal forest
a. Forest biome that occurs almost exclusively in the
Northern Hemisphere
b. Biome that occurs on or near the equator
c. Biome that occurs near or above 60°N latitude
10. Complete the table about layers of a tropical rain forest.
LAYERS OF A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
Layer
Definition
Canopy
Dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall trees
Understory
Layer of shorter trees and vines
11. In what kind of places do tropical dry forests grow? They grow in places where rainfall is
12. What is a deciduous tree? It is a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year. 13. What is another name for tropical savannas?
Grasslands
14. Is the following sentence true or false? Savannas are found in large parts of eastern Africa.
true
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about deserts.
a. They are hot day and night.
b. The soils are rich in minerals but poor in organic material.
c. Cacti and other succulents are dominant plants.
d. Reptiles are the only wildlife.
34
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
highly seasonal rather than year-round.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
16. What amount of annual precipitation defines a desert biome? A desert biome is defined by having annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters.
17. What factors maintain the characteristic plant community of temperate grasslands?
Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores maintain the
characteristic plant community.
18. Why is fire a constant threat in temperate woodland and shrubland? Fire is a constant threat because of the growth of dense, low plants that contain flammable oils.
19. Communities that are dominated by shrubs are also known as chaparral .
20. What kinds of trees do temperate forests contain? They contain a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees.
21. What is a coniferous tree? It is a tree that produces seed-bearing cones, and most have leaves shaped like needles.
22. What is humus? It is a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter that makes soil fertile.
23. What is the geographic distribution of the northwestern coniferous forest?
It is found on the Pacific coast of northwestern United States and Canada,
from northern California to Alaska.
24. Boreal forests are also called
taiga
25. What are the seasons like in a boreal forest?
.
Winters are bitterly cold, but summers are mild
and long enough to allow the ground to thaw.
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
26. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about boreal forests.
a. Dominant plants include spruce and fir.
b. They have very high precipitation.
c. They have soils that are rich in humus.
d. Dominant wildlife include moose and other large herbivores.
27. What is permafrost? It is a layer of permanently frozen subsoil.
28. What happens to the ground in tundra during the summer?
It thaws to a depth of a few
centimeters and becomes soggy and wet.
29. Why are tundra plants small and stunted? The cycle of thawing and freezing of the ground rips and crushes plant roots. Cold temperatures, high winds, the short growing season, and humus-poor soils also limit plant height.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
35
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
Other Land Areas
(page 105)
30. Number the sequence of conditions you would find as you moved from the base to the summit of a mountain. Number the conditions at the base 1.
4
a. Stunted vegetation like that in tundra
1
b. Grassland
3
c. Forest of spruce and other conifers
2
d. Open woodland of pines
31. When are the polar regions cold?
They are cold year-round.
32. What plants and algae can be found in the polar ice regions? They include mosses and lichens. 33. In the north polar region, what are the dominant animals? They include polar bears, seals, insects, and mites.
34. The abiotic and biotic conditions of mountain ranges vary with elevation .
Reading Skill Practice
You can often increase your understanding of what you’ve read by making comparisons. A compare-and-contrast table helps you to do this. On a separate sheet of paper, make a table to compare the major land biomes you read about in Section
4–3. The characteristics that you might use to form the basis of your comparison could include a general description, abiotic factors, dominant plants, dominant wildlife, and geographic distribution. For more information about compare-andcontrast tables, see Organizing Information in Appendix A of your textbook.
Section 4–4 Aquatic Ecosystems
(pages 106–112)
This section explains the main factors that govern aquatic ecosystems. It also describes the characteristics of freshwater ecosystems, freshwater wetlands, estuaries, and the different marine zones.
Introduction
(page 106)
1. Aquatic ecosystems are primarily determined by what characteristics of the overlying water?
a. Depth
c. Temperature
b. Flow
d. Chemistry
2. What does the depth of the water determine? It determines the amount of light that organisms can receive.
36
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Students’ tables should include the basic information about the major land biomes discussed in the section. Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
3. What does water chemistry primarily refer to? It refers to the amount of dissolved chemicals—especially salts, nutrients, and oxygen—on which life is dependent.
Freshwater Ecosystems
(pages 106–107)
4. What are the two main types of freshwater ecosystems?
a. Flowing-water ecosystems
b. Standing-water ecosystems
5. Where do flowing-water ecosystems originate? They originate in mountains or hills, often springing from an underground water source.
6. How does the circulating water in a standing-water ecosystem affect the ecosystem?
The circulating water distributes heat, oxygen, and nutrients throughout
the system.
7. What is plankton? Plankton is a general term for the tiny, free-floating, weakly swimming organisms that occur in both freshwater and saltwater.
8. Complete the table about kinds of plankton.
KINDS OF PLANKTON
Kind
Organisms
How Nutrition Obtained
Phytoplankton
Single-celled algae
Supported by nutrients in the water
Zooplankton
Planktonic animals
Feed on phytoplankton
9. What is a wetland? It is an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
near the surface of the soil, at least part of the year.
10. What is brackish water? It is a mixture of fresh and salt water.
11. What are three main types of freshwater wetlands?
a. Bogs
b. Marshes
c. Swamps
12. What distinguishes a marsh from a swamp? The presence of trees and shrubs in swamps are what distinguish them from marshes.
Estuaries
(page 108)
13. What are estuaries?
They are wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea.
14. Tiny pieces of decaying plants and animals make up the detritus that provides food for organisms at the base of an estuary’s food web.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
37
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about estuaries.
a. Most primary production is consumed by herbivores.
b. They contain a mixture of fresh water and salt water.
c. Sunlight can’t reach the bottom to power photosynthesis.
d. They are affected by the rise and fall of ocean tides.
16. What are salt marshes? They are temperate-zone estuaries dominated by salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide line and by seagrasses under water.
17. What are mangrove swamps, and where are they found? They are coastal wetlands that are widespread across tropical regions, including southern Florida and Hawaii.
Marine Ecosystems
(pages 109–112)
18. What is the photic zone of the ocean? It is the well-lit upper layer.
19. The permanently dark zone below the photic zone is called the aphotic zone
.
20. What are the three main vertical divisions of the ocean based on the depth and distance from the shore?
a. Intertidal zone
b. Coastal ocean
c. Open ocean
21. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about the intertidal zone.
a. Organisms there are exposed to extreme changes in their surroundings. b. The rocky intertidal zones exist in temperate regions.
c. Organisms are battered by currents but not by waves.
22. What is zonation? It is the prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat. 23. What are the boundaries of the coastal ocean? It extends from the low-tide mark to the outer edge of the continental shelf.
24. Why is the coastal ocean often rich in plankton and many other organisms? The continental shelf is often shallow enough to fall mostly or entirely within the
photic zone, where photosynthesis can occur.
25. A huge forest of giant brown algae in the coastal ocean is a(an) kelp forest
38
.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
d. Competition among organisms often leads to zonation.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
26. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about coral reefs.
a. The coasts of Florida and Hawaii have coral reefs.
b. The primary structure of coral reefs are the skeletons of coral animals. c. Almost all growth in a coral reef occurs within 40 meters of the surface. d. Only a few organisms are able to live near coral reefs.
27. What are the boundaries of the open ocean? It begins at the edge of the continental shelf and extends outward.
floor
28. The benthic zone covers the ocean
.
29. What are the boundaries of the benthic zone? It extends along the ocean floor from the coastal ocean through the open ocean.
30. Organisms that live attached to or near the bottom of the ocean benthos are called
.
WordWise
Answer the questions by writing the correct vocabulary terms from Chapter
4 in the blanks. Use the circled letter from each term to find the hidden word.
Then, write a definition for the hidden word.
What are physical factors that shape ecosystems? a b
i
o
t
i
c
f
a
c
t
o
r
s
What is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions?
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
n
i
c
h
e
What are the planktonic animals called? z o
o
p
l
a
n
k
t
o
n
What is a layer of permanently frozen subsoil in the tundra? p e
r
m
a
f
r
o
s
t
What is the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region? c l
i
m
Hidden Word: b
Definition:
a
t i e o m
e
A biome is particular physical environment that contains a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
39
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4
Ecosystems and Communities
Section 4–1 The Role of Climate
(pages 87–89)
This section explains how the greenhouse effect maintains the biosphere’s temperature range. It also describes Earth’s three main climate zones.
What Is Climate?
(page 87)
1. How is weather different from climate?
Weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s
atmosphere at a particular time and place, while climate is the average, year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region.
2. What factors cause climate? Factors include the trapping of heat by the atmosphere, the transport of heat by winds and ocean currents, …show more content…
and the amount of precipitation that results. The shape and elevation of landmasses also contribute to global climate patterns.
The Greenhouse Effect
(page 87)
3. Circle the letter of the world’s insulating blanket.
a. oxygen
b. the atmosphere
c. the oceans
d. solar energy
4. Complete the illustration of the greenhouse effect by showing in arrows and words what happens to the sunlight that hits Earth’s surface. © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sunlight
Some heat escapes into space
Greenhouse gases trap some heat
Atmosphere
Earth’s surface
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
29
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
5. What effect do carbon dioxide, methane, and a few other atmospheric gases have on Earth’s temperature? They trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range.
6. What is the greenhouse effect?
It is the retention of heat by the layer of greenhouse gases.
The Effect of Latitude on Climate
(page 88)
7. Why does solar radiation strike different parts of Earth’s surface at an angle that varies throughout the year? Earth is a sphere that is tilted on its axis.
8. Circle the letter of where the sun is almost directly overhead at noon all year.
a. the North Pole
b. China
c. the equator
d. the South Pole
9. Why does Earth have different climate zones? It has different climate zones as a result of differences in latitude and thus the angle of heating.
10. Complete the table about Earth’s three main climate zones.
MAIN CLIMATE ZONES
Climate Zone
Location
Climate Characteristics
Polar zones
Areas around North and South poles
Cold areas
Temperate zones
Between the polar zones and the tropics
Ranges from hot to cold, depending on the season
Tropical zone
Near the equator
Almost always warm
(page 89)
11. What force drives winds and ocean currents? The unequal heating of Earth’s surface drives winds and ocean currents.
12. The process in which water rises toward the surface in warmer regions is called
upwelling
.
13. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about ocean currents.
a. Patterns of heating and cooling result in ocean currents.
b. Ocean currents transport heat within the biosphere.
c. Surface water moved by winds result in ocean currents.
d. Ocean currents have no effect on the climate of landmasses.
30
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Heat Transport in the Biosphere
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Section 4–2 What Shapes an Ecosystem?
Date ______________
(pages 90–97)
This section explains how biotic and abiotic factors influence an ecosystem. It also describes what interactions occur within communities and explains how ecosystems recover from a disturbance.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
(page 90)
1.
Complete the table about factors that influence ecosystems.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ECOSYSTEMS
Type of Factor
Definition
Examples
Biotic factors
Biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem
Birds, trees, mushrooms, bacteria; the whole ecological community
Abiotic factors
Physical, or nonliving, factors that shape ecosystems
Climate, wind, nutrient availability, soil type, sunlight
2. What do the biotic and abiotic factors together determine? Together they determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives. The Niche
(pages 91–92)
3. What is a niche? A niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions.
4. In what ways is food part of an organism’s niche? Its niche includes the type of food the
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
organism eats, how it obtains its food, and which other species use the organism for food.
5. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about niches.
a. Different species can share the same niche in the same habitat.
b. No two species can share the same niche in the same
habitat.
c. Two species in the same habitat have to share a niche to survive.
d. Different species can occupy niches that are very similar.
Community Interactions
(pages 92–93)
6. When does competition occur? It occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time.
7. What is a resource?
It is any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
31
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
8. What is often the result of direct competition in nature? There is often a winner and a loser, with the losing organism failing to survive.
9. What is the competitive exclusion principle?
No two species can occupy the same niche in
the same habitat at the same time.
10. What is predation? It is an interaction in which an organism captures and feeds on another organism. 11. When predation occurs, what is the organism called that does the killing and eating, and what is the food organism called? The one that kills and eats is called the predator, and the food organism is called the prey.
12. What is symbiosis? It is any relationship in which two species live closely together.
13. Complete the table about main classes of symbiotic relationships.
MAIN CLASSES OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Description of Relationship
Mutualism
Both species benefit from the relationship.
Commensalism
One member of the association benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Parasitism
One organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it.
14. The organism from which a parasite obtains nutritional needs is called a(an)
host
.
a. They generally weaken but do not kill their host.
b. They obtain all or part of their nutritional needs from the host.
c. They neither help nor harm the host.
d. They are usually smaller than the host.
Ecological Succession
(pages 94–97)
16. What is ecological succession? It is the series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time.
17. What is primary succession? It is succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists.
18. The first species to populate an area when primary succession begins are called
32
pioneer species
.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true of parasites.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
19. When a disturbance changes a community without removing the soil, what follows? Secondary succession follows.
20. An area that was once referred to as a climax community may appear to be permanent, but what might cause it to undergo change? Long-term climate change and introduction of nonnative species can profoundly affect
such a community.
Section 4–3 Land Biomes
(pages 98–105)
This section describes the unique characteristics of the world’s major land biomes. It also describes other land areas.
Introduction
(page 98)
1. What is a biome? It is a particular physical environment that contains a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals.
Climate and Microclimate
(page 98)
2. What does a climate diagram summarize? It summarizes a region’s climate, including temperature and precipitation.
3. Complete the climate diagram by adding labels to the bottom and both sides of the graph to show what the responding variables are.
Barrow, Alaska
Average Temperature (°C)
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
30
300
20
10
200
0
–10
100
– 20
Average Precipitation (mm)
400
40
0
– 30
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Month
4. On a climate diagram, what does the line plot and what do the vertical bars show? The line plots changes in temperature through the months of a year, and the vertical bars show the amount of precipitation each month of a year.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
33
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
5. What is a microclimate? It is a climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate around it.
The Major Biomes
(pages 99–103)
6. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about how each of the world’s major biomes is defined.
a. Each is defined by a unique set of abiotic factors.
b. Each has a characteristic ecological community.
c. Each is defined by the country it is in.
d. Each is particularly defined by climate.
Use the map in Figure 4–12 to match the biome with its geographic distribution.
Geographic Distribution
Biome
b
7. Tropical rain forest
c
8. Tundra
a
9. Boreal forest
a. Forest biome that occurs almost exclusively in the
Northern Hemisphere
b. Biome that occurs on or near the equator
c. Biome that occurs near or above 60°N latitude
10. Complete the table about layers of a tropical rain forest.
LAYERS OF A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
Layer
Definition
Canopy
Dense covering formed by the leafy tops of tall trees
Understory
Layer of shorter trees and vines
11. In what kind of places do tropical dry forests grow? They grow in places where rainfall is
12. What is a deciduous tree? It is a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year. 13. What is another name for tropical savannas?
Grasslands
14. Is the following sentence true or false? Savannas are found in large parts of eastern Africa.
true
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about deserts.
a. They are hot day and night.
b. The soils are rich in minerals but poor in organic material.
c. Cacti and other succulents are dominant plants.
d. Reptiles are the only wildlife.
34
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
highly seasonal rather than year-round.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
16. What amount of annual precipitation defines a desert biome? A desert biome is defined by having annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters.
17. What factors maintain the characteristic plant community of temperate grasslands?
Periodic fires and heavy grazing by large herbivores maintain the
characteristic plant community.
18. Why is fire a constant threat in temperate woodland and shrubland? Fire is a constant threat because of the growth of dense, low plants that contain flammable oils.
19. Communities that are dominated by shrubs are also known as chaparral .
20. What kinds of trees do temperate forests contain? They contain a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees.
21. What is a coniferous tree? It is a tree that produces seed-bearing cones, and most have leaves shaped like needles.
22. What is humus? It is a material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter that makes soil fertile.
23. What is the geographic distribution of the northwestern coniferous forest?
It is found on the Pacific coast of northwestern United States and Canada,
from northern California to Alaska.
24. Boreal forests are also called
taiga
25. What are the seasons like in a boreal forest?
.
Winters are bitterly cold, but summers are mild
and long enough to allow the ground to thaw.
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26. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about boreal forests.
a. Dominant plants include spruce and fir.
b. They have very high precipitation.
c. They have soils that are rich in humus.
d. Dominant wildlife include moose and other large herbivores.
27. What is permafrost? It is a layer of permanently frozen subsoil.
28. What happens to the ground in tundra during the summer?
It thaws to a depth of a few
centimeters and becomes soggy and wet.
29. Why are tundra plants small and stunted? The cycle of thawing and freezing of the ground rips and crushes plant roots. Cold temperatures, high winds, the short growing season, and humus-poor soils also limit plant height.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
35
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
Other Land Areas
(page 105)
30. Number the sequence of conditions you would find as you moved from the base to the summit of a mountain. Number the conditions at the base 1.
4
a. Stunted vegetation like that in tundra
1
b. Grassland
3
c. Forest of spruce and other conifers
2
d. Open woodland of pines
31. When are the polar regions cold?
They are cold year-round.
32. What plants and algae can be found in the polar ice regions? They include mosses and lichens. 33. In the north polar region, what are the dominant animals? They include polar bears, seals, insects, and mites.
34. The abiotic and biotic conditions of mountain ranges vary with elevation .
Reading Skill Practice
You can often increase your understanding of what you’ve read by making comparisons. A compare-and-contrast table helps you to do this. On a separate sheet of paper, make a table to compare the major land biomes you read about in Section
4–3. The characteristics that you might use to form the basis of your comparison could include a general description, abiotic factors, dominant plants, dominant wildlife, and geographic distribution. For more information about compare-andcontrast tables, see Organizing Information in Appendix A of your textbook.
Section 4–4 Aquatic Ecosystems
(pages 106–112)
This section explains the main factors that govern aquatic ecosystems. It also describes the characteristics of freshwater ecosystems, freshwater wetlands, estuaries, and the different marine zones.
Introduction
(page 106)
1. Aquatic ecosystems are primarily determined by what characteristics of the overlying water?
a. Depth
c. Temperature
b. Flow
d. Chemistry
2. What does the depth of the water determine? It determines the amount of light that organisms can receive.
36
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Students’ tables should include the basic information about the major land biomes discussed in the section. Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
3. What does water chemistry primarily refer to? It refers to the amount of dissolved chemicals—especially salts, nutrients, and oxygen—on which life is dependent.
Freshwater Ecosystems
(pages 106–107)
4. What are the two main types of freshwater ecosystems?
a. Flowing-water ecosystems
b. Standing-water ecosystems
5. Where do flowing-water ecosystems originate? They originate in mountains or hills, often springing from an underground water source.
6. How does the circulating water in a standing-water ecosystem affect the ecosystem?
The circulating water distributes heat, oxygen, and nutrients throughout
the system.
7. What is plankton? Plankton is a general term for the tiny, free-floating, weakly swimming organisms that occur in both freshwater and saltwater.
8. Complete the table about kinds of plankton.
KINDS OF PLANKTON
Kind
Organisms
How Nutrition Obtained
Phytoplankton
Single-celled algae
Supported by nutrients in the water
Zooplankton
Planktonic animals
Feed on phytoplankton
9. What is a wetland? It is an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
near the surface of the soil, at least part of the year.
10. What is brackish water? It is a mixture of fresh and salt water.
11. What are three main types of freshwater wetlands?
a. Bogs
b. Marshes
c. Swamps
12. What distinguishes a marsh from a swamp? The presence of trees and shrubs in swamps are what distinguish them from marshes.
Estuaries
(page 108)
13. What are estuaries?
They are wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea.
14. Tiny pieces of decaying plants and animals make up the detritus that provides food for organisms at the base of an estuary’s food web.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
37
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
Chapter 4, Ecosystems and Communities (continued)
15. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about estuaries.
a. Most primary production is consumed by herbivores.
b. They contain a mixture of fresh water and salt water.
c. Sunlight can’t reach the bottom to power photosynthesis.
d. They are affected by the rise and fall of ocean tides.
16. What are salt marshes? They are temperate-zone estuaries dominated by salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide line and by seagrasses under water.
17. What are mangrove swamps, and where are they found? They are coastal wetlands that are widespread across tropical regions, including southern Florida and Hawaii.
Marine Ecosystems
(pages 109–112)
18. What is the photic zone of the ocean? It is the well-lit upper layer.
19. The permanently dark zone below the photic zone is called the aphotic zone
.
20. What are the three main vertical divisions of the ocean based on the depth and distance from the shore?
a. Intertidal zone
b. Coastal ocean
c. Open ocean
21. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about the intertidal zone.
a. Organisms there are exposed to extreme changes in their surroundings. b. The rocky intertidal zones exist in temperate regions.
c. Organisms are battered by currents but not by waves.
22. What is zonation? It is the prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat. 23. What are the boundaries of the coastal ocean? It extends from the low-tide mark to the outer edge of the continental shelf.
24. Why is the coastal ocean often rich in plankton and many other organisms? The continental shelf is often shallow enough to fall mostly or entirely within the
photic zone, where photosynthesis can occur.
25. A huge forest of giant brown algae in the coastal ocean is a(an) kelp forest
38
.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
d. Competition among organisms often leads to zonation.
Name______________________________
Class __________________
Date ______________
26. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about coral reefs.
a. The coasts of Florida and Hawaii have coral reefs.
b. The primary structure of coral reefs are the skeletons of coral animals. c. Almost all growth in a coral reef occurs within 40 meters of the surface. d. Only a few organisms are able to live near coral reefs.
27. What are the boundaries of the open ocean? It begins at the edge of the continental shelf and extends outward.
floor
28. The benthic zone covers the ocean
.
29. What are the boundaries of the benthic zone? It extends along the ocean floor from the coastal ocean through the open ocean.
30. Organisms that live attached to or near the bottom of the ocean benthos are called
.
WordWise
Answer the questions by writing the correct vocabulary terms from Chapter
4 in the blanks. Use the circled letter from each term to find the hidden word.
Then, write a definition for the hidden word.
What are physical factors that shape ecosystems? a b
i
o
t
i
c
f
a
c
t
o
r
s
What is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions?
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
n
i
c
h
e
What are the planktonic animals called? z o
o
p
l
a
n
k
t
o
n
What is a layer of permanently frozen subsoil in the tundra? p e
r
m
a
f
r
o
s
t
What is the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region? c l
i
m
Hidden Word: b
Definition:
a
t i e o m
e
A biome is particular physical environment that contains a characteristic assemblage of plants and animals.
Guided Reading and Study Workbook/Chapter 4
39