What is the difference between a biological community and a biome?

A community is all living species that interact in a specific area. A biome is a large region defined by climate and vegetation, containing many communities.

What are trophic levels and how does energy move through a food web?

Trophic levels include producers, primary consumers (herbivores), secondary and tertiary consumers, and decomposers. Energy flows from producers to consumers, with only about 10% typically transferred to each higher level; the rest is lost as heat or used in metabolism.

What is a keystone species and why does it matter in a community?

A keystone species has a disproportionately large effect on community structure relative to its abundance, helping maintain species diversity. Example: sea otters keep kelp forests healthy by controlling sea urchin populations.

What is succession and how do primary and secondary succession differ?

Succession is the gradual change in species composition over time after a disturbance. Primary succession starts on bare rock with no soil (e.g., after lava flows). Secondary succession occurs where soil remains after disturbance (e.g., after a fire).

What defines a biome, and can you name a few examples?

A biome is a large geographic region defined by climate patterns (temperature, precipitation) and predominant vegetation, hosting multiple communities. Examples include tropical rainforest, desert, temperate forest, tundra, and boreal forest (taiga).