Name: _________________________________________

Lesson 1 Study Guide: Living Things and the Environment

1. Identify the levels of organization in an ecosystem from smallest to largest?
2. What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors?
3. Why do you think each animal lives in the area they do on the globe? For example, why do you
think snakes do not live in the Arctic tundra?
4. What makes up a community in an ecosystem?
5. How are the levels “organism” and “population” in an ecosystem different from each other?
6. In an ecosystem, organisms use resources. How would you describe how important resources
are to any given organism?
7. A farmer sprays insecticide on their crops. A population of birds that feeds on insects begins to
decline. What is the abiotic factor that causes the decline?
8. Make a list of organisms that live in your community.
9. How is a habitat different from an ecosystem?
10. What are factors that affect the population growth of an individual species?
11. What are the limiting factors that affect the population growth of an individual species?
12. What is the difference between a factor and a limiting factor?
13. Use page 188 in your textbook to answer the following question:
How does the lack of space act as a limiting factor for these gannets?
14. How can biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem affect populations?
15. Why is climate considered to be a limiting factor for populations in an ecosystem?

Vocabulary to define and study: Create a Blooket. When you have finished, find someone to
exchange your Blooket with in the classroom. Play.

organism habitat biotic factor

abiotic factor population community

ecosystem limiting factor density

resources