APES midterm Flashcards
Holistic
Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts
Open Systems
Both matter and energy are exchanged in its boundary
Closed Systems
Energy is exchanged, but not matter
Isolated Systems
Neither energy nor matter is exchanged
Transformation
It changes the form or state of a substance
Entropy
Refers to disorder and is the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Abiotic components
Nonliving
Water, Air, Sunlight
Biotic components
Living
Animals, Plants, Microbes
Autotrophs (producers)
Self feeding; plants
Heterotrophs
Feeds off other organisms ; humans, animals, etc
Herbivores
(primary consumer)
Organisms that eat only plants,/
; deer, rabbits, etc
Carnivores
(secondary consumer)
Organisms that eat other organisms,
; lions
Omnivores
(tertiary consumer)
Organisms that eat both plants and other organisms,
; humans,
Deciduous Forest
Drop leaves after the growing season;
- Moderate in temperature and precipitation
Grassland
Mainly grass life;
- Moderate in temperature and precipitation
Biome
Terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life
Climate
Long-term patterns of weather
What two conditions define climate
Temperature and Precipitation
Species
A group of interbreeding populations
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population that an ecosystem/environment can support
Which part of the Earth is the largest
Mantle
Lithosphere
Is formed in the crust and rigid upper mantle.
- Creates 13 tectonic plates;
Outer core
Mostly composed of liquid iron and nickel
Inner core
Hot dense ball of (mostly iron) - Solids
Divergent Boundaries
Regions when two tectonic plates are moving apart.
Convergent Boundaries
Regions where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other
Transform Boundaries
Region where two plates slide horizontally past each other.
What is the name of the opening that magma erupts through?
Vent
Shield volcanoes
Has a wide base and gently sloping sides
Orogeny
Mountain building
Condensation
Water molecules rejoin to form liquid water or ice.
- (If it doesn’t reach the ground, it is considered condensation)
Precipitation
Any form of moisture condensing in the air and depositing on the ground.
- If the water touches the ground, it is considered precipitation
Transpiration
The loss of water vapor from the cells within the leaves of plants
Evaporation
Molecules of water leave the liquid state and enter the vapor or gaseous state.
- Absorb energy from sunlight
- Comes from the stream, ocean, water)
Infiltration
The process in which water soaks into the soil as opposed to running off the surface.
What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen
What is Ozone formed from?
Oxygen
What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
Convection
The method of heat transfer that involves currents within a fluid
Which layer of atmosphere does weather occur?
Troposphere
Rain shadow
The process of the leeward (right side of the mountain) not receiving moisture from the windward (left side of the mountain).
- It is a dry region
Hadley cells
A convection current that cycles between the equator (tropical rainforest) and 30 degrees N and S (desert) latitude.
- They are one of the primary drivers of the trade winds, which are crucial for marine navigation and have a significant impact on regional climates.
Earth’s axis location and purpose
The Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degree
- Causes the season
Albedo effect
The ability of a surface to reflect sunlight
- For example; A white surface has a high albedo, and a dark surface has a low albedo
Atmospheric pressure
Decreases with altitude
Coriolis effect
The deflection of an object’s path due to the rotation of the Earth
- In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes moving objects to be deflected to the right of their intended path, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it causes deflection to the left.
What are prevailing winds produced by?
A combination of convection currents and the Coriolis effect.
Photosynthesis formula
6CO2 + 6H2O + SOLAR ENERGY —-> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Or in other words;
(carbon dioxide) + (water) —–> (glucose) + (oxygen)
Tragedy of the Commons
The tragedy of the commons happens when people use up shared resources too quickly, so future generations don’t have enough left.
- For example, when humans cut down forests but don’t replant trees, future generations will have fewer trees. This will lead to less clean air and fewer habitats for animals because there are fewer trees.
Mutualism
When both species benefit from each other
- Example; bees and flower
Community of organisms
All species in a given area
Intrinsic growth rate
Under ideal conditions, with unlimited resources, the maximum potential for growth
Population size formula
Crude birth rate (CBR) + Immigration - Crude death rate (CDR) + Emigration
Density-dependent regulation
Matters how many individuals are in the population
Density-independent regulation
Does not matter how many individuals are in the population
Keystone species
A species that plays a role in its community that is far more important than its relative abundance might suggest
- Basically very important to its ecosystem
From what conditions does a pioneer species develop?
In a disturbed or barren land
K-strategist characteristics
- Long lifespan
- Fewer offspring, yet large in sizes
- Look at pg 13 from population slides*
R-strategist characteristics
- Short lifespan
- Many offspring, yet small in sizes
Look at pg 13 from population slides
What is the most common species distribution pattern?
Clumped
Type I survivorship curve
Higher mortality for older
Resource partitioning
2 species divide resources
Total fertility rate (TFR)
Average number of children born to women in a population
What is a country’s influence on the environment motivated by?
Population, technology, and nature
Malthus theory
The food supply will eventually run out, while the human population will keep growing
