Ch 3 Key Terms

Question 1

acid rain

Answer 1

caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids, kills phytoplankton and fish

Question 2

aerobic respiration

Answer 2

O2 and Sugars are used to produce ATP

Question 3

anaerobic respiration

Answer 3

no O2 (creates lactic acid/muscles or alcohol/fermentation)

Question 4

aquifer

Answer 4

storage of groundwater

Question 5

atmosphere

Answer 5

the air on earth

Question 6

autotrophs

Answer 6

producers, (self-feeders), make the nutrients they need from compounds and energy obtained from their environment.

Question 7

biomass

Answer 7

chemical energy is stored and transferred throughout the levels of organisms

Question 8

biosphere

Answer 8

living organisms on earth

Question 9

carbon cycle

Answer 9

the various processes in carbon is transferred through organisms and the atmosphere

Question 10

carnivores

Answer 10

meat eating organisms

Question 11

Chemosynthesis

Answer 11

the synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from reactions involving inorganic chemicals, typically in the absence of sunlight.

Question 12

Consumers

Answer 12

organisms that consume other organisms to receive energy

Question 13

decomposers

Answer 13

microorganisms that release nutrients when they die

Question 14

detritivores

Answer 14

organisms that feed on dead bodies

Question 15

eutrophication

Answer 15

the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, or both

Question 16

evaporation

Answer 16

the process by which water is turned into vapor

Question 17

food chain

Answer 17

shows the interactions between predators and prey

Question 18

food web

Answer 18

shows the lasting result of the interaction in the food chain on the ecosystem

Question 19

geosphere

Answer 19

rock, soil, and sediment

Question 20

greenhouse effect

Answer 20

the Earth’s way to keep heat insulated and maintain a livable climate.

Question 21

gross primary productivity (GPP)

Answer 21

the rate where an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy into chemical energy

Question 22

groundwater

Answer 22

a supply of freshwater that originates from the ground

Question 23

Herbivores

Answer 23

organisms who consume solely plans to obtain nutrients

Question 24

heterotrophs

Answer 24

organisms that have to take in nutrients from other sources

Question 25

hydrologic (water) cycle

Answer 25

the process in which water moves through the earth

Question 26

hydrosphere

Answer 26

the layer of water on earth

Question 27

natural greenhouse effect

Answer 27

Earth’s protection from too much heat being lost

Question 28

net primary productivity (NPP)

Answer 28

the GPP minus the rate at which they use stored energy for anaerobic respiration

Question 29

nitrogen cycle

Answer 29

the process by which Nitrogen passes through the the earth

Question 30

nutrient (biogeochemical) cycles

Answer 30

any of the natural pathways by which essential elements of living matter are circulated.

Question 31

omnivores

Answer 31

organisms that eat plants and meat

Question 32

organism

Answer 32

an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.

Question 33

Photosynthesis

Answer 33

plants use carbon dioxide and water to produce energy in forms of sugars

Question 34

phosphorus cycle

Answer 34

the process in which phosphorus is circulated throughout the planet

Question 35

precipitation

Answer 35

water that falls from the atmosphere when the clouds condense

Question 36

primary consumers

Answer 36

an animal that feeds on plants

Question 37

producers

Answer 37

autotrophs, (self-feeders), make the nutrients they need from compounds and energy obtained from their environment.

Question 38

pyramid of energy flow

Answer 38

model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem.

Question 39

secondary consumers

Answer 39

an animal that feeds on primary consumers

Question 40

soil

Answer 40

Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life.

Question 41

stratosphere

Answer 41

above the troposphere, where planes fly, temperatures increase with altitude because of increasing amounts of ozone. The ozone layer within the stratosphere absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of sunlight

Question 42

sulfur cycle

Answer 42

the process in which sulfur is circulated throughout the planet

Question 43

surface runoff

Answer 43

the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.

Question 44

tertiary consumers

Answer 44

animals that eat secondary consumers

Question 45

Transpiration

Answer 45

a plant releases water vapor on its stomata

Question 46

trophic level

Answer 46

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem

Question 47

troposphere

Answer 47

the lowest layer where all weather occurs. The base of this layer is warmer than its top because the air is heated by the surface of the Earth, which absorbs the Sun’s energy

Question 48

weathering

Answer 48

breakdown of any material over time