Ch 3 Flashcards
Process of recovering energy of glucose (reverse of photosynthesis); all organisms use it
Cellular Respiration
Successive levels of organisms feeding on each other
Tropic Levels
Amount of solar energy captured by producers in an ecosystem
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
Takes respiration into account
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
NPP=…
GPP - respiration by producers
Total mass of all living matter in an area
Biomass
Biomass present at a given time
Standing crop
Proportion of consumed energy
Ecological efficiency
An ecosystem is distinguished by its mix of…
Biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors
Shows how matter cycles between lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere
Biogeochemical cycles
6 processes that drive carbon cycle
Photosynthesis, respiration, exchange, sedimentation and burial, extraction, and combustion
N2 gas is converted to NH3
Nitrogen Fixation
Organisms take in fixed nitrogen
Assimilation
Decomposers excrete ammonium
Ammonification
Ammonium is converted to nitrite, then nitrate
Nitrification
Bacteria convert nitrate back into atmospheric form
Denitrification
CA, Mg, K
Important for regulating cellular processes
Often used to conduct water studies
Watershed
Measure of how much a disturbance affects an ecosystem
Resistance of an ecosystem
Rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after disturbance
Resilience
Scientific endeavor of restoring damaged ecosystems
Restoration ecology
States that ecosystem ms that experience intermediate disturbance are more diverse than those with high/low disturbance levels
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Means we can use the organism to accomplish a goal
Instrumental value
Means organism’s worth is independent of any human benefit
Intrinsic value
Benefits humans obtain from natural ecosystems
Ecosystem services
Goods humans can use directly
Provisions
Natural systems regulating environment, as in trees absorbing carbon
Regulating services
Ecosystems facilitating something as in pollination
Support systems
Ecosystem recovery, dependent on diversity
Resilience
Beauty of nature inspires us
Cultural services
