Chapter 8 Summary

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OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT. [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Prompt: Summarize the following content into six key takeaways.

Click on the flashcards to review key terms discussed in this chapter.

 

 

Abiotic factors:
The non-living components of the environment, such as temperature, sunlight, water, soil, and air.

Acclimation:
A gradual, reversible physiological adjustment to a new environmental condition.

Anatomical responses:
Physical changes in an organism’s body structure that help it adapt to environmental changes (e.g., growing thicker fur in winter).

Atmospheric pollution:
Airborne pollutants, such as acid rain or nitrogen deposition, which can alter ecosystems.

Behavioral responses:
Actions or movements organisms perform to reduce or avoid exposure to unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., migration).

Biomes:
Large geographic regions characterized by distinct climate, vegetation, and animal life.

Biosphere:
The global sum of all ecosystems—anywhere life exists on Earth.

Biotic factors:
The living components of the environment, such as plants, animals, fungi, and microbes.

Carbon balance:
The relationship between the amount of carbon stored and released in an ecosystem.

Community:
All the different species living in a particular area and the interactions among them.

Community ecology:
The study of interspecific interactions between species within a community.

Conservation biologist:
A scientist who studies and develops methods to protect biodiversity and endangered species.

Distribution:
The geographical area over which organisms are found.

Ecosystem:
A community of living organisms interacting with the non-living elements of their environment.

Ecosystem ecology:
The study of how energy flows and nutrients cycle through biological communities and their physical environments.

Energy source:
A basic abiotic factor required for life; most commonly solar energy captured through photosynthesis.

Endangered species:
A species that is at serious risk of extinction.

Evolution:
The process through which species change over time through genetic variation and natural selection.

Habitat:
The natural environment in which an organism lives, including all the resources and conditions it needs to survive.

Homeostasis:
The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism despite changes in the external environment.

Inorganic nutrients:
Essential minerals (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) required for the growth and survival of organisms.

Latitude:
A measure of how far a location is from the equator, affecting climate and biome distribution.

Migration:
The movement of organisms from one region to another, often seasonally, in response to environmental conditions.

Nutrient cycling:
The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.

Organismal ecology:
The study of how individual organisms adapt to their environments.

Permafrost:
A layer of permanently frozen soil found in tundra regions that affects drainage and plant growth.

Photic zone:
The upper layer of a body of water that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur.

Photosynthesis:
The process by which photosynthetic organisms convert sunlight into chemical energy.

Physiological responses:
Short-term or reversible changes in an organism’s body function in response to environmental conditions.

Population:
A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species living in the same area.

Population ecology:
The study of the number of individuals in a population and how and why that number changes over time.

Precipitation:
Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground, influencing biome types and plant life.

Rain shadow:
A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range, created when mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems.

Species:
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Temperature:
An abiotic factor that influences the range of environments in which organisms can survive and thrive.

Torpor:
A state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate.

Water availability:
The presence of water in an ecosystem, a critical factor for life.

Text Description

Front of Card:

1. Abiotic factors
2. Acclimation
3. Anatomical responses
4. Atmospheric pollution
5. Behavioral responses
6. Biomes
7. Biosphere
8. Biotic factors
9. Carbon balance
10. Community
11. Community ecology
12. Conservation biologist
13. Distribution
14. Ecosystem
15. Ecosystem ecology
16. Energy source
17. Endangered species
18. Evolution
19. Habitat
20. Homeostasis
21. Inorganic nutrients
22. Latitude
23. Migration
24. Nutrient cycling
25. Organismal ecology
26. Permafrost
27. Photic zone
28. Photosynthesis
29. Physiological responses
30. Population
31. Population ecology
32. Precipitation
33. Rain shadow
34. Species
35. Temperature
36. Torpor
37. Water availability

Back of Card:

1. The non-living components of the environment, such as temperature, sunlight, water, soil, and air.
2. A gradual, reversible physiological adjustment to a new environmental condition.
3. Physical changes in an organism’s body structure that help it adapt to environmental changes (e.g., growing thicker fur in winter).
4. Airborne pollutants, such as acid rain or nitrogen deposition, which can alter ecosystems.
5. Actions or movements organisms perform to reduce or avoid exposure to unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., migration).
6. Large geographic regions characterized by distinct climate, vegetation, and animal life.
7. The global sum of all ecosystems—anywhere life exists on Earth.
8. The living components of the environment, such as plants, animals, fungi, and microbes.
9. The relationship between the amount of carbon stored and released in an ecosystem.
10. All the different species living in a particular area and the interactions among them.
11. The study of interspecific interactions between species within a community.
12. A scientist who studies and develops methods to protect biodiversity and endangered species.
13. The geographical area over which organisms are found.
14. A community of living organisms interacting with the non-living elements of their environment.
15. The study of how energy flows and nutrients cycle through biological communities and their physical environments.
16. A basic abiotic factor required for life; most commonly solar energy captured through photosynthesis.
17. A species that is at serious risk of extinction.
18. The process through which species change over time through genetic variation and natural selection.
19. The natural environment in which an organism lives, including all the resources and conditions it needs to survive.
20. The maintenance of stable internal conditions in an organism despite changes in the external environment.
21. Essential minerals (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) required for the growth and survival of organisms.
22. A measure of how far a location is from the equator, affecting climate and biome distribution.
23. The movement of organisms from one region to another, often seasonally, in response to environmental conditions.
24. The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.
25. The study of how individual organisms adapt to their environments.
26. A layer of permanently frozen soil found in tundra regions that affects drainage and plant growth.
27. The upper layer of a body of water that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur.
28. The process by which photosynthetic organisms convert sunlight into chemical energy.
29. Short-term or reversible changes in an organism’s body function in response to environmental conditions.
30. A group of interbreeding individuals of the same species living in the same area.
31. The study of the number of individuals in a population and how and why that number changes over time.
32. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground, influencing biome types and plant life.
33. A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range, created when mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems.
34. A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
35. An abiotic factor that influences the range of environments in which organisms can survive and thrive.
36. A state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate.
37. The presence of water in an ecosystem, a critical factor for life.

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OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT. [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Prompt: Provide definitions for all the bolded terms in the shared content and list all the terms in alphabetical order.