What Is An Ecosystem?

A small patch of farmland, an underside of a large rock, and a stream flowing through a pasture represent what?

An ecosystem

Why is Glacier Bay an example of how ecosystems change over time?

Because some of the land was exposed by glaciers, which means the land had few nutrients. Therefore, it has more time to undergo succession.

A measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem is___

Biodiversity

The variety of organisms in an area

Biodiversity

A ___ is a large region characterized by a climate and its specific plant and animal communities

Biome

The place where a population of a species lives

Habitat

An ecosystem is defined by what?

It's community and physical aspects of the area

What factors are needed to make up an ecosystem?

Microscopic organisms, weather conditions, and large mammals

The replacement of one kind of community by another at a single place over time

Succession

What is meant by the term "pioneer species"?

A small, fast-growing plant that is the first to live in a habitat

You expect to find the most biodiversity in ___

A square yard of forest floor

The different species that live in a habitat

Community

A typical organism that might occupy a forest in the southeastern United States is a ___

Deer

Community and all of the physical aspects of its habitat

Ecosystem

What is the primary difference between a freshwater ecosystem and a marine ecosystem?

The amount of salt in the water

An example of biotic factor in an ecosystem is

The number of competing species

How are the organisms in both saltwater and freshwater similar?

They're both aquatic. Organisms will evolve to fit into each ecosystem