Download CH 4 Study Guide

Bioscience
Chapter 4 Study Guide
Vocabulary – All vocabulary from the assigned chapter sections may be included on the test, so please review your
skim & scan notes. The vocabulary terms listed here are terms you will definitely need to know to understand the key
understandings below.
Weather
Climate
Greenhouse Effect
Latitude
Polar zone
Temperate Zone
Tropical Zone
Biotic factor
Abiotic factor
Predator
Prey
Symbiosis
Ecological succession
Biome
Desert
Tropical rain forest
Tundra
Chaparral
Photic zone
Aphotic zone
Key Understandings – Any of the vocabulary or key concepts in the assigned chapter sections, as well as anything
discussed in class, and especially concepts from in-class activities and labs, is fair game for the test. These are areas to
concentrate your study for the test.
Know the difference between weather and climate.
Be able to explain how gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor in the atmosphere are
responsible for the greenhouse effect. Understand why the greenhouse effect is actually a good thing
for living things on this planet. Also understand how human activities that dump greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere could contribute to global warming.
Understand how the tilt of the earth is responsible for seasonal changes in temperature in temperate
zones, and also explains why the polar zones are always cold, and the tropical zones are always
warm.
Know the basic rainfall and temperature patterns in the following biomes: desert, tundra, tropical rain
forest, and chaparral (also known as mediterranean or temperate woodland and shrubland). Know
which type of biome we live in here in Pleasanton. Understand the effect of the abiotic characteristics
of a biome (temperature, climate) on the biotic characteristics (plants, animals, other living things) in
that biome.
Understand the basic relationships between living organisms described in your textbook, including
predator/prey relationships, food webs, and different types of symbiosis.
Explain the process of ecological succession that takes place in the “Long Term Changes” activity.
Understand how very small changes in temperature and rainfall can have big effects on an
ecosystem over long periods of time.
Understand why climatograms such as those in your textbook (p 100-104) and those in the
“Climatogram Lab” activity are useful for classifying ecosystems around the planet. Be able to look at
a climatogram and give a simple description of the rainfall and temperature characteristics of the area
represented.
Know the basic types and characteristics of aquatic ecosystems, in particular the difference between
the photic and aphotic zones.