Across
- 5. Large regions such as forests, deserts, and grasslands with distinct climates and certain species adapted to them.
- 10. The ability of a living system to survive moderate disturbances. Ex.: rainforest
- 11. The process whereby earth's life changes over time through changes in the genetic characteristics of populations.
- 17. The interaction that benefits one species but has little or no effect on the other.
- 18. A significant rise in extinction rates above the background level. (2 words)
- 20. When populations of 2 different species interact in such a way over a long period of time develop changes in the gene pool of the other. It allows both sides to become more competitive.
- 24. Species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. (2 words)
- 25. Mineralized or petrified replicas of skeletons, bones, teeth, shells, leaves, and seeds, or impressions of such items found in rocks.
- 27. A way to navigate and locate prey using pulses of high-frequency and high-intensity sound which bounces off objects, and the returning echoes tell them where their prey is located.
- 30. Occurs when members of 2 or more species interact to gain access to the same limited resources such as food, water, light, and space. (2 words)
- 32. Involves the gradual establishment of biotic communities in lifeless areas where there is no soil in a terrestrial ecosystem or no bottom sediment in an aquatic one. Ex.: on a newly formed island. (3 words)
- 35. The number and variety of species in an ecosystem. It is a combination of species richness and species evenness. (2 words)
- 38. Vast armies of bacteria in the digestive system of animals help to break down the animals' food. (3 words)
- 40. The interaction that benefits both species by providing each with food, shelter, or some other resource.
- 41. A process in which an entire species ceases to exist.
- 42. The ability of a living system to be restored through secondary succession after a more severe disturbance. Ex.: grassland
- 43. When one species splits into two or more different species.
- 45. Species whose roles have a large effect on the types and abundance of other species in an ecosystem. They are limited in number. Ex.: butterflies, alligators, or sharks. (2 words)
- 46. Where a series of communities or ecosystems with different species develop in places containing soil or bottom sediment. Ex.: after a fire (3 words)
- 47. Bringing back an ecosystem to its original form after being degraded. Secondary ecological succession after a fire is natural restoration. (2 words)
- 48. Species that have narrow niches, such as giant panda, some shorebirds (2 words)
- 49. Using poisons to paralyze prey or to deter predators. (2 words)
Down
- 1. Species that migrate into, or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem. Ex.: gypsy moths in NJ. (also called alien, exotic, introduced, etc.) (2 words)
- 2. The normally gradual change in species composition in a given area. (2 words)
- 3. A species that play a major role in shaping their communities by creating and enhancing their habitats in ways that benefit other species. Ex.: beaver, elephants, bats, birds. (2 words)
- 4. Species only found in one area and are vulnerable to extinction. Ex: those species found only on islands. (2 words)
- 6. Species that provide early warnings of damage to a community or an ecosystem. Ex.: Loss of seabirds on NJ shore. (2 words)
- 7. A way of life for a species in a community and includes everything that affects its survival and reproduction, such as how much water and sunlight it needs, how much space it requires, what it feeds on, what feeds on it, and the temperatures it can tolerate. (2 words)
- 8. Occurs when one organism (parasite) feeds on another organism (host), usually by living on or in the host.
- 9. Occurs when geographically isolated populations of sexually reproducing organisms become so different in genetic makeup that they cannot produce live, fertile offspring if they are rejoined and attempt to interbreed. (2 words)
- 12. The number of different species present in an ecosystem. Ex.: a coral reef is high and an aspen forest is low (2 words)
- 13. Occurs when species competing for similar scarce resources evolve specialized traits that allow them to share resources by using parts of them, using them at different times, or using them in different ways. (2 words)
- 14. The variety of processes such as energy flow and matter cycling that occur within ecosystems as species interact with one another in food chains or webs. (2 words)
- 15. An adaptation that allows predators and/or prey to hide in plain sight.
- 16. Where nonpoisonous organisms gain protection by looking like poisonous ones.
- 19. A species that is introduced to an area, either on purpose or accidentally, that causes harm to an ecosystem or species within the ecosystem (2 words)
- 21. Plants like orchids and bromeliads which attach themselves to the trunks or branches of large trees in tropical and subtropical forests. An example of commensalism: the plant gets sunlight, water, and air and the tree is not harmed nor benefits.
- 22. A low rate of extinction of about 1 - 5 species for each million on earth.(2 words)
- 23. Any heritable trait that improves the ability of an individual organism to survive and to reproduce at a higher rate than other individuals in a population under prevailing environmental conditions.
- 26. Enables individuals with a heritable trait to produce more surviving offspring than other members of the population produce. (2 words)
- 28. The variety of the earth's species, or varying life-forms.
- 29. Occurs when different groups of the same species become physically isolated from one another for a long period of time. (2 words)
- 31. Is a biological community of plants and animals which, through the process of ecological succession — the development of vegetation in an area over time — has reached a steady state. (2 words)
- 33. Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem. Ex.: deer in NJ. (2 words)
- 34. The comparitive numbers of individuals of each species present in an ecosystem. Ex.: tropical forests high and aspen forest low (2 words)
- 36. Species that have broad niches, such as flies, cockroaches, raccoons, humans. (2 words)
- 37. Where individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a particular set of environmental conditions than those without the traits. (2 words)
- 39. The theory of island biogeography is also called the _____________ model. (2 words)
- 44. Occurs when a member of one species (predator) feeds directly on all or part of a member of another species (prey).