1. The Nonliving Environment
Ch. 13 p. 358

2. Abiotic Factors
13.1

3. A. Environmental Factors
How might living organisms depend on each other to survive besides as food?
Possible answer: protection (leaves, trees, bushes)
Biotic – features of the environment that are alive or once living; means “living”
Nonliving features of an environment are extremely important as a means of survival too
Abiotic – nonliving, physical features

4. Examples Biotic (Living) Abiotic (non-Living) Animals Plants Insects
Birds
Air
Water
Soil
Sunlight
Temperature
climate

5. Why would abiotic factors in an environment determine what kind of organisms live there?
It depends on what abiotic factors organisms can survive in.
Example: If there is plenty of sunlight, high temperatures, and no plants and little water, then a lot of organisms that need water and cool temperatures could not survive there.

6. B. Air Atmosphere – the air that surrounds the earth
Air contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen,
.94% argon, .03% carbon dioxide and traces amount of other gases. All of these provide substances that support life.
Carbon dioxide is required for photosynthesis in which oxygen is released

7. Through respiration, cells obtain energy needed for all life processes
Respiration – when cells use oxygen to release the chemical energy stored in sugar molecules
Through respiration, cells obtain energy needed for all life processes
If oxygen is not supplied, then the organism will die or have terrible side affects
Plants, some bacteria, algae, fish and most other organisms also need oxygen for respiration

8. C. Water Essential to life on Earth
Most organisms are 50-95% water (humans start out at 75% as a baby and drop to 50-65% as an adult)
Respiration, digestion, photosynthesis and other important processes can only happen with water
The more water, the more organisms in an environment

9. D. Soil
Soil – is a mixture of mineral and rock particles, the remains of dead organisms, water, and air
Topmost layer of Earth’s crust and supports plant growth
Soil is somewhat formed from broken pieces of rock turned into tiny particles

11. Considered abiotic because it is mostly made up of nonliving rock and mineral particles
Contains living organisms and decaying remains which is called humus
Soil life includes bacteria, fungi, insects, and worms
Type of soil in a region determines what kinds of plants grow there

12. E. Sunlight
All life requires energy which the sun is the energy source for almost all life on Earth
Photosynthesis helps convert sun light energy into sugar as a food source for plants
Consumers can’t make their own food/energy so they get their energy from producers or other consumers.

13. F. Temperature Sunlight supplies heat energy for warmth
Most organisms cannot survive if their body temperature is too low
Organisms adapt their body temperatures to their environment such as penguins in Antarctica or camels in the desert

14. Temperature of a region depends on the amount of sunlight it receives
Temperature of a region depends on the amount of sunlight it receives. That can depend on the land’s latitude and elevation.
Polar regions receive less of the Sun’s energy because sun light strikes it at an angle spreading the energy out.
Equator is hotter because it receives direct sunlight.
F. 1. Latitude

15. F. 2. Elevation Elevation – distance above or below sea level
Temperatures get cooler the higher up you go in Earth’s atmosphere
Air becomes warmer when sunlight heats air molecules
The higher the elevation the fewer the air molecules and the less there are to be warmed
Can you see where the highest points are based on the elevation map? Are those places cold?

16. G. Climate
Climate – refers to an area’s average weather conditions over time, including temperature, rainfall or other precipitation and wind
Fairbanks, Alaska has winters that get to degrees Fahrenheit and 3 feet of snow falls in a month
Key West, Florida barely gets to 41 degrees Fahrenheit and no snow

17. G. 1. Wind Heat energy not only determines temperature but also wind
Air is made up molecules of gas
As the temperature increases, the molecules spread farther apart
warm air is lighter than cold air and cold air will sink pushing warm air up
This motion causes air currents called wind
Fun facts
This is why old houses have tall ceilings
A mixture of cold and hot air causes a tornado

18. G. 2. The Rain Shadow Effect
Presence of mountains can affect rainfall patterns
Wind blowing toward one side of the mountain is forced upward by the mountain’s shape
As the air nears the top, it cools
When air cools, the moisture it contains falls as rain or snow
By the time the cool air passes over the mountain, it has lost most of its moisture and the other side of the mountain gets less precipitation
One side may have a lot of greenery and one may be a desert