chap 5 Flashcards
photosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water
producer
an organism that produces organic compounds from simple substances such as water and carbon dioxide; an autotroph
consumer
an organism that derives the organic compounds and energy it needs from the consumption of other organisms; a heterotroph.
decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
cellular respiration
Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert chemical energy from oxygen molecules or nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products.
food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
tropical level
each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.
carbon cycle
he series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
nitrogen fixing bacteria
Nitrogen fixation is a process by which molecular nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia or related nitrogenous compounds in soil.
nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems
phosphorous cycle
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
ecological succession
Ecological succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time
primary succession
Primary succession occurs when new land is formed or bare rock is exposed, providing a habitat that can be colonized for the first time
secondary succession
Secondary succession, type of ecological succession (the evolution of a biological community’s ecological structure) in which plants and animals recolonize a habitat after a major disturbance—such as a devastating flood, wildfire, landslide, lava flow, or human activity (e.g., farming or road or building construction)
