biology unit 1 chapters 1,3,4,5, and 6 Flashcards
study of the interactions of organisms and their environment
ecology
thin layer of life around earth
biosphere
one type of living thing, can breed and produce viable young
species
a single living thing
organism
all the members of one species in a defined area
population
all the different species in a given area
community
all the living and non-living things in an area
ecosystem
a major type of area with similar characteristic life
biome
living factors
biotic
nonliving factors
abiotic
producer
autotroph
consumer
heterotroph
What two processes do producers use to produce food?
- photosynthesis - from light
2. chemosynthesis - from chemicals
What is the source of energy for most life on earth?
sunlight
Give one place chemosynthesis occurs.
deep ocean (abyss)
How does energy move through an ecosystem?
Energy flows through food chains and food webs
from producer to consumers and ending with decomposers.
How much energy is passed on to each successive step in a food chain?
10%
What happens to the energy that is not passed on to the next step in a food chain?
used by the organism or lost as heat to the environment
drifting organisms in water - Name and describe the 2 types.
plankton
- phytoplankton - plant-like
- zooplankton - animal-like
a feeding level in a food chain
trophic level
Name and describe the trophic levels.
1st trophic level - producer - plants
2nd trophic level - primary consumer - herbivore
3rd trophic level - secondary consumer - carnivore
4th trophic level tertiary consumer - carnivore
5th trophic level - quaternary consumer - carnivore
What acts on every step of the food chain to recycle the nutrients?
decomposers
interconnected food chains in an area
food web
What shape is good for representing the numbers of the various trophic levels in a food web? Explain.
pyramid - large numbers of producers at the bottom
- small numbers of top consumers
Name the three types of pyramids, and say what they measure.
- energy - calories
- biomass - grams
- numbers - counts
the total amount of living tissue
biomass
the continued movement of materials through living things and the earth
biogeochemical cycles
What is the difference between the movement of nutrients and the movement of energy in ecosystems?
energy flows - constantly need more
nutrients recycle - same matter is used over and over
the movement of standing water into the air
evaporation
when water vapor collects into clouds
condensation
when condensed water vapor falls back to earth as rain, snow…
precipitation
when water percolates through the ground to become groundwater
infiltration
water flowing downhill along the earth’s surface
runoff
an underground body of water
aquifer
water loss through plant leaves
transpiration
a dead zone in the ocean with no oxygen
hypoxic zone
another name for the water cycle
hydrologic cycle
What is the energy for the water cycle?
the sun causes evaporation and wind
What happens to runoff when there are fewer plants in an area? What does increased runoff do to erosion?
runoff moves faster and can cause more erosion - carry more sediment
How do plants get carbon?
from the atmosphere during photosynthesis
How do animals get carbon?
by eating
What are 3 natural processes that release CO2 into the atmosphere?
- respiration
- combustion
- volcanoes
What are 2 natural processes that remove CO2 from the atmosphere?
- photosynthesis
2. dissolving into the ocean
What are 2 natural processes that “lock up” carbon in the ground?
- formation of fossil fuels
2. formation of calcium carbonate rock - limestone
What does excess carbon dioxide to to the atmosphere?
traps heat - global warming
Where is most nitrogen?
atmosphere - N2 gas
What process converts nitrogen gas into usable nitrogen compounds that fertilize soil?
nitrogen fixation
What group of plants live mutualistically with bacteria that fix nitrogen? Give examples.
legumes - peas, peanuts, soybeans
the process where bacteria convert nitrogen compounds into nitrogen gas and release it back to the air
denitrification
What makes the phosphorus cycle unique from the other cycles?
Phosphorus is not found in the atmosphere.
What important compounds need nitrogen?
proteins, ATP and nucleic acids (DNA)
What important compound needs phosphorus?
ATP and nucleic acids (DNA)
The long-term phosphorus cycle is really what other cycle?
rock cycle - erosion - sedimentation and uplift
a factor when in short supply can slow the growth of an organism
limiting nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus are common limiting nutrients)
How are nitrogen and phosphorus typically added to soil to make it more fertile?
fertilizer
What happens when nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into waterways?
eutrophication causes algal blooms which can use up all the oxygen making the water stagnant (hypoxic)
What is the difference between weather and climate?
weather - short-term, day to day
climate - long-term weather conditions
What are the major factors involved in determining an area’s climate?
- sunlight - latitude
- temperature - carried by wind and water from warm to cold
- precipitation
What are the Earth’s 3 main climate zones?
- tropical - around equator - gets the most direct sunlight
- temperate - on either side of tropical - has seasons
- polar - at extreme ends - least direct light
the phenomenon where gases like CO2 trap heat and keep the earth warm
greenhouse effect
What are two ways heat is transported through the biosphere? How does heat move?
- wind patterns
- water currents
Heat moves from warm to cold.
where an organism lives
habitat
the ideal conditions an organism likes for survival
optimum conditions
the area an organism can survive in
range of tolerance
the area an organism defends
territory
the role an organism plays in its community
niche
No two organisms can have the exact same what? Why?
niche - competitive exclusion - they will compete for resources, and one will be more successful than the other
the things organisms need to survive and compete for
resources
when one organism hunts and kills another - What are they called?
predation - predator and prey
a species so important to a community that when it dies off, the entire community is threatened - Give an example.
keystone species - sea otters in a kelp forest
any relationship in which two organisms live closely together
symbiosis
Name and explain the three main types of symbiosis.
- mutualism - both benefit
- parasitism - one benefits, and the other is unaffected
- commensalism - one benefits, and the other is unaffected
Give 3 examples of mutualism.
- bee and flower
- lichen
- plant roots and fungus
- legumes and nitrogen fixing bacteria
- sea anemone and clownfish
Give 3 examples of parasitism.
- flea
- tick
- tapeworm
- leech
What do we call the organism a parasite lives in or on?
host
Give 2 examples of commensalism.
- barnacle on a whale
- pilot fish on a whale
- remora and whale
- lion and vulture
a series of changes that occurs in an ecosystem as new organisms move into the area
ecological succession
Name and describe the two types of ecological succession.
- primary succession - begins on bare rock
2. secondary succession - begins with some soil after a natural disaster
What do we call the first organisms to move into an area?
pioneer organisms
What do we call the mature, stable community created by succession?
climax community
Give 2 examples of pioneer organisms.
- lichen
2. moss
Why is a lichen such a good pioneer?
It can live on bare rock because the fungus dissolves the rock to get nutrients and make soil, and the alga can do photosynthesis while the fungus protects it from drying out
Which type of succession happens faster, and why?
secondary - already some soil in place
What was DDT used for?
kill insects
What property of DDT makes it hazardous over time?
It is subject to biological magnification where it increases through the food chain.
Sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the air mix with water to form what?
acid rain
gray, brown haze over cities
smog
How do introduced or alien species threaten biodiversity?
They have no natural predators, so they crowd out native species and overpopulate.
a musing easure of our impact on the biosphere
ecological footprint
How does raising cattle and growing rice contribute to air pollution?
releasing the greenhouse gas methane in large quantities
non-renewable resources
coal, oil, natural gas
renewable resources
sunlight, water, fast-growing plants
using resources in a way that doesn’t have long-term environmental harm while providing for human needs
sustainability
What does a healthy ecosystem provide us with?
breathable air, food, water
What caused the 1930’s dust bowl?
poor farming techniques
poor farming, overgrazing and seasonal drought cause an area to not support plants
desertification
the scientific study of population
demography
The demographic transition changes high birth rates and high death rates to what?
low birth rates and low death rates
After what event did the human population begin experiencing exponential growth?
Industrial Revolution
What is a benefit of a monoculture to agriculture?
easier to farm and grow a lot of food
Is spraying for mosquitoes a density-dependent or density-independent limiting factor?
density-independent
Give 3 examples of density-dependent limiting factors.
crowding, competition for resources, disease
On what type of population do density-dependent factors have the biggest effect?
large and dense
Give 3 examples of density-independent limiting factors.
earthquakes, fire, flood, deforestation
What do we call the factors that control the size of a population?
limiting factors
the maximum number of individuals an ecosystem can support
carrying capacity
What happens to a population that grows higher than its carrying capacity?
death rate may rise
The major limiting factor in a desert is the availability of
water
What is the exponential phase?
period of rapid growth
What happens to a population as resources become less available?
reaches carrying capacity - growth slows
movement of individuals in a population - Name and describe the 2 kinds.
migration
- immigration - moving in
- emigration - moving out
the depth of water through which light penetrates
photic
the region of water without light
aphotic
Why is there less light in the aphotic zone?
phytoplankton need light for photosynthesis, and zooplankton eat phytoplankton
the bottom of a body of water
benthic zone
a mixture of fresh and salt water
estuary
Why are wetlands so important?
- purify water
- prevent flooding
- recharge aquifers
- place where many living things are born
how many individuals are in a given area
population density
the area inhabited by a population
range
- eat meat
- eat plants
- eat plants and meat
- eat dead organisms
- carnivore
- herbivore
- omnivore
- scavenger
an animal that hunts and kills another for food
the hunted animal
predator - prey
How can several organisms live in the same habitat?
different niches
