Chapter 1 Flashcards
Ecosystem
a group of populations along with abiotic factors that surround and affect them
Biome
large regions that have similar abiotic an biotic components
Biosphere
all areas on Earth (air, land, water) that are inhabited and supported by life
extends several km up and several km down (birds in sky and worms in soil)
Individual Organism
Part of a particular species
Population
a group of organisms living in an area (same species, same time, same place)
Community
2 or more interacting populations
Biosphere Hiarcheal Levels
organism population community ecosystem biome biosphere
How does energy enter and get stored in the biosphere
- chemosynthesis
- photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
The suns light energy is used to convert carbon dioxide into carbon hydrates (glucose)
- energy source: solar energy
- byproduct: oxygen
Chemosynthesis
Energy from nutrients is used to convert carbon dioxide into carbon hydrates (glucose) in absense of sunlight
- energy stored in bonds
- byproduct: sulfuric acid
- break hydrogen sulfide to absorb energy
Cellular Respiration
-the process within cells where carbon hydrates are broken down to release energy
-occurs in mitochromia
-photosynthesis is opposite
How does energy flow through the biosphere?
- continuous supply of energy in ecosystems
- energy moves in one way flow
The first law of Thermodynamics
States that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is converted from one form of energy to another
Pyramid of Energy
- represents amount of energy available at each trophic level
- measured in KJ
- drop a 0 at each level
Food Chain
- linked diagram that shows 1 set of feeding relationships
- not common in healthy ecosystems, organisms have more then 1 feeding relationship
- fragile
Food Web
- A linked diagram that shows all feeding relationships in an ecosystem
- more common in healthy ecosystems
Producer
An organism that produces their own food
-autortrophs
Consumer
Consume organisms as a source of energy
- heterotrophs
- primary consumer
- secondary consumer
- triterary consumer
- decomposer
What determines how species are distributed in a biome?
- abiotic factors
- range of toerence
What determines the location of s biome?
- climate
- latitude (above equator)
- soil
- altitude (above sea level)
Ecotones
area of transition between 2 biomes
Tundra (Canadian North)
- temp: -45 to 5
- precipitation: low less then 25 cm/ yr cold dessert
- indicator plants:short grass, lichen, moss
- indicator animals: arctic fox, ptarmigan, caribou
- features: permafrost (constantly frozen subsoil prevents drainage)
Temp Deciduous Forrest
- temp: -30 to 30
- precipitation: 75-180 cm /yr (wetest biome)
- plants: deciduous (broad) trees ex: maple, birch, oak
- animals:black bear, dear, woodpecker
- feature: layering of forest
Boreal Forest
- temp: -40 to 15
- precipitation: 30 t0 85 cm/yr (mostly snow)
- plants:coniferous (needle) trees ex: spruce, fir
- animals: moose, red squirrel, ruffed grouse
- features: largest canadian biome, acidic soil
Grasslands
- temp: -10 to 30
- precipitation: 20 to 60 cm/yr
- plants: short grass, long grass, mixed grass
- animals: buffalo, snakes, mice
- features:richest soil due to high decomposition of grass, warm temps to decay grass, low rainfall so nutrients don’t wash away
Rivers
- contain flowing water
- amount of water, speed of water, amount of sediment are important abiotic factors
Lakes & Ponds
- contain standing water
1. littoral zone: region along shore
2. limetic zone:region with deeper open water (some light, many fish)
3. benthic zone: region in and just below bottom (low light, worms and insects)
Estuaries
- semi enclosed coastal ecosystems that are transitional between fresh and saltwater
- change in salinity
- high in nutrients (nurseries)
Pelagic Zone (open water)
a) Neractic Zone: water over shelf
- shallow, 100 to 200 m deep
- warm, well lit, high nutrients, banks
b) Oceanic Zone: beyond continental shelf
- bathyal zone: 1000 to 4000 m deep low light 4 C
- abyssal zone: 4000 to 6000 m deep no light 0 C
Intertidal Zone
Region of shore between high tide and low tide
- Upper intertidal: not underwater often splashed by water (algea)
- Middle intertidal: submerged daily between high and low tides (mussels and starfish)
- Lower intertidal: covered by water most of the time (sea weed, sea urchin)
