Chapter 3 Flashcards
What does the acronym Hippo stand for?
Habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, population, overuse of resources
What is the difference between NPP and GPP?
NPP=rate that producers use photosynthesis to store energy MINUS aerobic respiration (NPP=GPP-R)
What’s the difference between biotic and abiotic?
Biotic=once-living or currently living factors in ecosystem (fish, animals, plants) Abiotic=non-living factors in an ecosystem (rocks, soil, temperature, sun)
What is the limiting factor principle?
The principle that the factor (such as a particular nutrient, water, or sunlight) that is in shortest supply (the limiting factor) will limit the growth and development of an organism or a community.
What is Ecological Efficiency?
the efficiency with which energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.
What is Gross Primary Productivity?
The rate at which producers use photosynthesis to store energy, INCLUDING aerobic respiration
What are detritivores? List 2 examples.
Detritivores are organisms that recycle decomposing organic material and return the energy to the food chain. Examples: millipedes, woodlice, dung beetles, dung flies and burying beetles, crabs, seabirds
What is ecology?
the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with each other and with their abiotic environment.
What is the order of the four trophic levels?
Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers
What is biomass?
The total dry mass of all organic organism(s)
What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?
Decomposers eventually convert all organic matter into carbon dioxide (which they respire) and nutrients. This releases raw nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium) in a a form usable to plants and algae, which incorporate the chemicals into their own cells. This process resupplies nutrients to the ecosystem, in turn allowing for greater primary production and returning energy to the ecosystem.
What are the four spheres of the earth?
Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere,
What is the order of the layers in the atmosphere?
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
Is ecological efficiency generally high or low?
Extremely low, 2-10 percent of energy reaches final trophic level.
What is a limiting factor? (List 3 examples)
A limiting factor is any factor that limits the population growth of a species. Examples of limiting factors are; Food, Space, Predation, Disease
