Big Idea 4

1)  Altruistic behavior:  Altruistic behavior is an act which benefits another individual but hurts the doer.  In ant colonies, sterile members devote their lives to feeding the queen and helping her reproduce.

 

3A)  Biome - Desert:  Biomes are a group of major ecosystems that are differentiated by climate, animal and plant adaptations, and other environmental conditions.  The Tehachapi Mountains are part of the Mojave Desert, which is an example of a desert biome. 

3B)  Biome – Tropical rain forest:  Biomes are a group of major ecosystems that are differentiated by climate, animal and plant adaptations, and other environmental conditions.  This jungle garden at the Huntington Botanical Gardens is a model of a tropical rain forest. 

 

 

3C)  Biome - Marine:  Biomes are a group of major ecosystems that are differentiated by climate, animal and plant adaptations, and other environmental conditions.  This beach in Malibu is an example of a coastal type of marine biome. 

 

10)  Keystone species:  A keystone species plays an important role in maintaining an ecosystem.  The California Oak provides thousands of animals with food and shelter, making it a keystone species.   

 

11)  K-strategist:  K-strategists are organisms that produce a few, large offspring, which mature slowly and need a lot of parental care.  K-strategists tend to have long lifespans.  Humans, elephants, and whales are examples of k-strategists.

 

16A)  Organisms on different levels of the same food chain – Mountain Lion:  A food chain is a hierarchy of organisms that feed on the level below them.  Mountain lions feed on deer and other small animals.

 

16B)  Organisms on different levels of the same food chain – Deer:  A food chain is a hierarchy of organisms that feed on the level below them.  Deer feed on flowers, grasses, and other flora.

 

19)  Predation:  Predation is when one animal kills and eats another animal for food.  Gray wolves are predators that feed on other animals such as elk and rabbits.

20)  R-strategist:  R-strategists are organisms that are characterized by high reproductive rate and rapid development of their offspring.  Rabbits are an example of r-strategists.