Chapter 3 Test Flashcards
Levels of ecosystem
organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
Communities
populations of different species occupying the same space
Ecosystem boundaries
locations showing the gradient of one ecosystem to another (not concrete)
Photosynthesis/CR
6CO2+ 6H20 -> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Aerobic
with oxygen
Anaerobic
without oxygen
Chemosynthesis
Organisms getting energy from inorganic compounds without sunlight
Trophic levels
Successive levels of organisms consuming one another - less energy/population as you move up - higher predators need to consume more
Scavengers
organisms that eat corpses
Detrivore
break down waste/tissue (dung beetle)
Decomposer
Fungi/Bacteria that completely break down nutrients and recycle them
Biomass
total mass of all living matter in area
10% rule (ecological efficiency)
Average decrease of 10% as you move up a level
Macronutrient
Fats, Carbs, Proteins (essential)
Limiting nutrient
scarce nutrients which limits growth of organisms
Eutrophication
natural enrichment of a body of water which causes less oxygen, mostly from runoff of plant nutrients (algal blooms)
Dead zones
parts of a body of water without enough oxygen to support life
Hypoxic
not enough oxygen
Apoxic
no oxygen at all
Watershed
land of area that all streams to same outlet
Disturbance
event that changes population size
Resistance
measure of how much disturbance affects ecosyteme
Resilience
rate of speed an ecosystem can return to original speed after disturbance
Restoration ecology
study of/implementation of damaged ecosystems
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Intermediate amount of disturbances results in greatest biodiversity
NH3
Ammonia
NH4
Ammonium
NO2
Nitrite
NO3
Nitrate
SO2
Sulfur Dioxide
SO3
Sulfur Trioxide
H2SO4
Sulfuric Acid
C2H6S
Dimethyl Sulfide
Ammonification
Ammonia to Ammonium
Nitrification
NH3 (Ammonia) to NO2 (Nitrite) NO3 (Nitrate)
Assimilation
Organisms incorporate NO3 (Nitrate) and NH3 (Ammonia)
Denitrification
NO3 (Nitrate) to atmosphere
