chapter 3 Flashcards
cycling of matter
what is ecology?
the study of interactions between organisms
what is an abiotic factor?
non-living
what is a biotic factor?
living
what are ecotones? Examples?
the transition area between ecosystems. (Trees to wetlands: grassy)
what are the five parts of an ecological niche?
- organism’s role in the ecosystem
- habitat
- breeding area
- place in a food web
- when it’s most active
what do exotic species do to an ecosystem? why?
depletion of original species. predators aren’t prone to new food, causing them to grow in population.
what is a biome?
large geographical region with specific temperatures,precipitation, and adapted organisms
what are the four biomes in alberta?
taiga/boreal forest, muskeg, grassland, and deciduous forest.
what are the components of a taiga region?
north alberta/rocky mountains, changing weather, conifers (acidic soil), shaded forest floor, and canopy.
what is a canopy?
the upper layer of vegetation in a forest that receives sunlight.
what are the components of the muskeg biome?
northern alberta, permafrost, muskeg, and slow decomposition
what is permafrost?
permanently frozen soil
what is muskeg?
the soil above permafrost that is swampy/boggy in the summer
when is decomposition slowest?
when the temperature is low
what are the components of a grassland biome?
southern alberta, fertile soil, warm temp = rapid decay, and only one layer to support diversity
what are the components of a deciduous forest biome?
between grasslands and taiga, dominated by trees, rich soil, lots of undergrowth, and great diversity.
what is the ocean a major contributor to?
weather changes
what is the littoral zone?
area of a shore where sunlight hits the floor and causes plant growth/photosynthesis
what is the limnetic zone?
area of a pond where sunlight comes through, but does not touch the bottom
what is plankton? where is it found?
an autotrophic and heterotrophic organism in the limnetic zone.
what is the profundal zone?
the are of a body of water where no light comes through
what factors affect terrestrial ecosystems?
soil, a series of layers, further down the less organic the soil, litter layer, etc
what is the litter layer?
upper layer of soil made of decomposed leaves
what are the layers of soil?
topsoil, hummus, subsoil, and bedrock
what is the topsoil layer?
the layer composed of small rocks.
what is the hummus layer?
the decaying plant and animal matter layer.
what is the subsoil layer?
contains more rocks and less hummus than the topsoil
what is the bedrock layer?
layer composed of rocks
what is soil pH affected by?
rocks, plants, and precipitation
what is groundwater?
water below the earth’s surface.
what occurs in the fall and spring lakes/ponds?
turnover
what is turnover?
the mixing of water from the winter to the spring
what is epilimnion?
the upper level in a lake that warms up in the summer
what is hypolimnion?
lower level of a lake that remains at a low temperature
what is thermocline?
zone between the epilimnion and the hypolimnion. the temperature changes rapidly
what is biotic potential?
the number of offspring that a species could produce is resources were unlimited
what are the factors of biotic potential?
- birth potential
- capacity for survival
- breeding frequency
- length of reproductive life
what is birth potential?
the maximum number of offspring per birth
what is the capacity for survival?
the number of offspring that reach reproductive age
what is the breeding frequency?
the number of times that a species reproduces each year
what is the length of reproductive life?
the age of sexual maturity and the number of years a species can reproduce.
what factors prevent biotic potential?
food, water, and room for the species
what is carrying capacity?
the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported by an ecosystem
why would a population be dense?
there is a large number of organisms in a small area
what is transpiration?
the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems, and flowers
what is leaching?
the loss or extraction of certain materials from a carrier into a liquid
what is precipitation?
water that falls from the atmosphere to the earth’s surface
what is surface runoff?
the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface
what causes an increase in carbon?
burning fossil fuels, clearing forests, methane, etc
what is the cellular respiration equation?
C6H12O6 + 6O2 —> 6CO2 + energy
what is the photosynthesis equation?
solar energy + 6CO2 —> C6H12O6 + 6CO2
what does photosynthesis do in the carbon cycle?
take carbon out of the atmosphere and create glucose and oxygen
what does cellular respiration do for the carbon cycle?
it releases more CO2 and water vapor
what is the greenhouse gas effect?
when gasses trap heat from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere causing global warming
what is the most common greenhouse gas?
water vapor
what is an example of a low albedo?
dirt, soil, dark things
what is an example of a high albedo?
snow, light things
what is nitrogen fixation?
the nitrogen is taken out of the air and converted to ammonia
what is ammonification?
bacteria break down nitrogen to form ammonium
what is nitrification?
nitrogen is oxidized into nitrite and nitrate
what is denitrification?
nitrate turning into nitrogen gas (goes back into the atmosphere)
what is the consequence of too much nitrogen?
overstimulation of the growth of aquatic plants and algae
what is phosphorus used for?
the formation of bones and teeth
what is a long-term cycle?
rocks
what is a short-term cycle?
living things
what is the consequence of too much phosphorus?
disordered mineral metabolism, vascular calcification, bone loss, and impaired kidney function
what is weathering?
the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on earth’s surface, returning phosphorus into rocks
