Chapter 55: Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

Ecosystem

A
  • All the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact
  • One or more communities and the physical environment around them
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2
Q

Law of Conservation of Mass

A
  • Matter cannot be created or destroyed

- Allows amount of a chemical element gained / lost or cycled by an ecosystem to be determined

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3
Q

Primary Producers

A

Autotrophs in the trophic level that ultimately supports all others

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4
Q

Primary Consumers

A
  • Herbivores

- Eat plants & other primary producers

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5
Q

Secondary Consumers

A

Carnivores that eat herbivores / primary consumers

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6
Q

Tertiary Consumers

A

Carnivores that eat other carnivores

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7
Q

Detritivores / Decomposers

A

Consumers that get energy from detritus

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8
Q

Detritus

A

Nonliving organic material (i.e. remains of dead organisms, feces, fallen leaves, wood)

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9
Q

Primary Production

A

Amount of light energy converted to chemical energy (form of inorganic compounds) by autotrophs during a given time period

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10
Q

Gross Primary Production (GPP)

A

Amount of energy from light (or chemicals in chemoautotrophic systems) converted to the chemical energy of organic molecules per unit time

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11
Q

Net Primary Production (NPP)

A
  • Equal to gross primary production minus energy used by producers for their “autotrophic respiration”
  • NPP = GPP - R3
  • About 1/2 GPP on average
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12
Q

Net Ecosystem Production (NEP)

A
  • Measure of total biomass accumulation in a time frame
  • NEP = GPP - RT
  • RT = Total respiration of all organisms in the system
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13
Q

Limiting Nutrient

A

An element that must be added for production to increase in a particular area

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14
Q

Eutrophication

A
  • Ecological impacts of detritivores depleting the water of a lot of its oxygen through decomposition of dead primary producers
  • Includes loss of many fish species in lakes
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15
Q

Secondary Production

A

Amount of chemical energy in consumers’ food

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16
Q

Production Efficiency

A
  • % of energy stored in assimilated food that is not used for respiration
  • Net secondary production x 100% ÷ assimilation of primary production
17
Q

Trophic Efficiency

A

% of production transferred from one trophic level to the next

18
Q

Turnover Time

A
  • Ratio of standing crop to production

- Standing crop (g/m sq) ÷ production {g/(m sq x day)}

19
Q

Biochemical Cycles

A

Nutrient cycles (because they involve both biotic and abiotic components)

20
Q

Bioremediation

A

Using organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems

21
Q

Biological Augmentation

A

Using organisms to add essential materials to a degraded ecosystem

22
Q

Nitrogen Fixation

A

Conversion of N2 to NH3 (ammonia)

23
Q

Denitrification

A

Process by which bacteria use nitrate and release N2 as a product