Topography

patches are embedded within a matrix- created by variations in geology, topography, soils, climate, etc.

im not sure what matrix is in this case.
plz explain what this sentence means! thanks
this is for my ecology. not geology.

Demetria

List and discuss 2 abiotic factors and 2 biotic factors that influence the distribution and abundance of species. Be sure to give specific examples of species (Give the binomial and common name) that are affected by these factors?

I have that abiotic is climate, topography, aspect, elevation.. ecetera..
but I am confused about biotic.. and as to how species are related.. maybe I am reading the question wrong.. any help is greatly appreciated..
I really need this broken down for me. I am having a hard time understanding it.

Shannan

Productivity of a biome increases as water availability

a. increases and elevation increases.
b. decreases and elevation increases.
c. increases and elevation decreases.
d. decreases and elevation decreases.
Biogeographical realms

a. are composed of different biomes.
b. are primarily based upon geography rather than climate.
c. would be entirely different if continental drift had not occurred.
d. involve all of the above.
Distribution of biomes tends to be influenced by all but which one of the following?

a. topography
b. soil
c. latitude
d. longitude
A particular biome is characterized by

a. climate.
b. vegetation.
c. animals.
d. all of the above.
The biome with the greatest diversity of life forms is

a. tundra.
b. taiga.
c. tropical rain forest.
d. desert.

Haydee

Freshly fallen leaves, organic debris, and partially decomposed organic matter are indicative of the

A) surface litter
B) zone of leaching
C)parent material
D)subsoil
E) Humus

The most important factor in determining which biome is found in a particular area is

A) topography
B)magnetic fields
C) climate
D) longitude

please help :(!!

Lindsy

You know…does any of our DNA or RNA loop back and join in a *Half Twist* like VCR tape, such that it only has one side and one edge, and makes *more of itself*, with that curvature, as it splits?

I know, it sounds weird as hell to put it that way, but what is DNA’s double helix anyway, if not a sophisticated zipper? Its components come apart, come back together and recombine all the time, constantly. And it is all done with a cyclical curve with a *lot* of twists.

Bonus Question: What if the next big thing in evolution was just this sort of thing? A shift not in terms of mutation or transposing individual pieces, but a wholesale change in the *shape of the curve*? Would this mean anything? Consider that practically all local life here on Earth follows the Double Helix curvature: Its shape, as mathematical automaton or topography, seems to confer advantages in terms of stability compared to Single or Triple Helices.

Or am I looking into this a bit much? Maybe this happens with RNA or ribosomes or mitochondria all the time… [*shrugs*]
Dina….not to be contentious or anything, but…you did say yourself that DNA was in flux, meaning changing shape all the time. And…there is the case with *prions*, or the misfolded proteins present in Mad Cow Disease and its kindred wasting diseases.

For those small proteins, their being misfolded into the wrong shape matters *very much*. That wrong shape can punch holes in cells.

I know….you’re likely right and know what you’re talking about. I get this. ^__^

It’s all good, I’m just still wondering how the shape of a protein can matter at the molecular and atomic levels, while the shape of the RNA and DNA above it doesn’t.

But it’s all good. ^_^ Thanks kindly for the info so far!

Vena