Big Idea 4

3. Biomes: biomes are large areas that cover the world that have similar features, such as a certain amount of rain or a lack of trees. Some examples of biomes are deserts, rain forests, or tundra. The large, flat field is an example of a grassland because of its constant appearance and conditions, and the fact that it is dominated by different types of grass instead of trees and large bushes.

4. Climax Community: a climax community is an area in which all plants, fungi, and animals living in that region have reached a steady rate of growth, repopulation, and then death. The foliage shown is an example of a climax community because of its set trees that dominate the available sunlight and the heavy low hanging plants that live underneath them.

6. Competition: competition is the aggressive interaction between two organisms in a limited space fighting for a supply of food of water. The variety of weeds and flowers in the image are all competing against each other for a limited supply of soil and water.

7. Detritivore: a detritivore is a heterotroph that obtains nutrients by consuming decomposing plants of feces. Mold is a type of fungi which is characteristically a detritivore that lives on breads and cheese such as the ones shown.

8. Endosperm: endosperm are produced in plants around the time of fertilization to provide the embryo with starch as well as oils and proteins. The endosperm shown in this image is from a grain of wheat.

9. Introduced Species: also known as an exotic species, these are a type of plant or animal that have been introduced into a region where they are not normally found. The results of this are are often catastrophic to the community already living there, as the introduced species can prey on animals with no evolved defense against it.

11. K-Strategist: a k-strategist is an organism that lives for a relatively long period of time, has a large body, has a smaller but stable population, and puts a large amount of effort into their offspring. A pine tree is defined as a k-strategist because it has a large generation period with a small, stable population.

14. Parasitism: parasitism is a relationship between two organisms where one benefits at the cost of the other. The parasite may be using the other organism for shelter or nutrients. Mistletoe is an example of parasitism because it benefits from the presence of the tree while harming the tree with its presence.

17. Pioneer Species: pioneer species, such as moss, are the first organisms to live in an area that was made unlivable by poor conditions, such as chemical dumping or forest fires. A fern is often among the first species to grow in an area because of their few requirements to live by.

18. Population: a population is a group of organisms from a single species that live and reproduce in a certain location as a group. The hornets nest that is shown is an example of a population because it is made up of hundreds of the same species all working together.