Chapter 2

4. factors- Living components
7. cycle- every particle in an organism is part of this cycle
9. obtain energy and building materials by eating other organisms
11. energy- Warms the atmosphere, evaporates water, and produces winds
12. cycle- Nitrogen enters and leaves the atmosphere through a complex biochemical pathway
13. The ability to maintain an ecological balance
15. factor- Any factor that places an upper limit on the size of a population
16. cycle- Carbon moves between the abiotic and biotic parts of an ecosystem in this cycle
20. The mass of living organisms in a given area
22. bodies of water that are rich in nutrients
24. The zone around the earth where life can exist
26. an organism that makes its own energy rich food components using the sun's energy
27. Composed of both living and nonliving things
28. respiration- A chemical process in which energy is released from food

1. chain- A way to illustrate who eats whom in an ecosystem
2. factors- Nonliving components
3. An important characteristic of freshwater ecosystems
5. capacity- The maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain
6. without this process most life on earth would not exist
8. bodies of water that are low in nutrients
10. ecosystem- Maintained through natural processes
14. acts like a blanket and moderates surface temperatures
17. energy- 70% of this energy is absorbed by the hydrosphere and lithosphere
18. cycle- The most obvious of the biogeochemical cycles
19. niche- This is the role of a species within its ecosystem
21. range- the abiotic conditions within which a species can survive
23. level- describes the position of an organism along a food chain
25. a large geographical region defined by climate with a specific set of biotic and abiotic features.
29. energy- visible forms of radiant energy