Chapter 3 Vocabulary Flashcards
producer
an organism that uses energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy (aka autotroph)
autotroph
an organism that uses energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy (aka producer)
photosynthesis
process by which producers use solar energy to convert CO2 and H2O into glucose
cellular respiration
process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
aerobic respiration
process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, CO2, and H2O
anaerobic respiration
process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen
consumer
organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms (aka heterotroph)
heterotroph
organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms (aka consumer)
herbivore
a consumer that eats producers (aka primary consumer)
primary consumer
a consumer that eats producers (aka herbivore)
carnivore
consumer that eats other consumers (aka secondary consumer)
secondary consumer
consumer that eats other consumers (aka carnivore)
tertiary consumer
carnivore that eats secondary consumers
trophic levels
successive levels of organisms consuming one another
food chain
the sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers
food web
a complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels
scavenger
organism that consumes dead animals
detritivore
organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles
decomposers
fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
biomass
total mass of all living matter in a specific area
standing crop
the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
ecological efficiency
the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
trophic pyramid
representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels
biogeochemical cycle
the movements of matter within and between ecosystems
hydrologic cycle
the movement of water through the biosphere
transpiration
the release of water from leaves during photosynthesis
evapotranspiration
the combined amount of evaporation and transpiration
runoff
water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers
carbon cycle
the movement of carbon around the biosphere
macronutrient
One of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, potassium (K), CAlcium, MaGnesium, and Sulfur.
limiting nutrient
One of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur
nitrogen cycle
the movement of nitrogen around the biosphere
nitrogen fixation
The process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of nitrogen that producers can use
nitrification
the conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)
assimilation
process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues
mineralization
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds
ammonification
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4+)
denitrification
The conversion of nitrate (NO3-) in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and, eventually, nitrogen gas (N2) which is emitted into the atmosphere.
leaching
the transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater
phosphorous cycle
the movement of phosphorus around the biosphere
algal bloom
a rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway
hypoxic
low in oxygen
dead zone
when oxygen concentration become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals
sulfur cycle
the movement of sulfur around the biosphere
disturbance
an event, caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition.
resistance
a measure of how much disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem
resilience
the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance
restoration ecology
the study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems
watershed
all land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland
intermediate disturbance hypothesis
The hypothesis that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels
