Chapther 1 Flashcards
Biosphere
the region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on earth
Producer (autotroph)
an organism that uses the energy of the sun to produce usable forms of energy
Photosynthesis
the process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose
Cellular respiration
the process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
Aerobic respiration
the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide and water
Anaerobic respiration
the process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen
Consumer (heterotroph)
an organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms
Herbivore (primary consumer)
a consumer that eats producers
Carnivore
consumers that eats other consumers
Secondary consumer
a carnivore that eats primary consumers
Tertiary consumer
a carnivore that eats secondary consumers
Trophic levels
the 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
an organism that consumes dead animals
Detritivore
an 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
the 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
a 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; N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S
Limiting nutrients
a nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients
Nitrogen Cycle
the movement of N around the biosphere
Nitrogen fixation
the process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of N that producers can use
Nitrification
the conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)
Assimilation
the 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 organic compounds
Ammonification
the process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic N found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4+)
Denitrification
the conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and eventually N gas (N2) which is emitted into the atmosphere
Leaching
the transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater
Phosphorus cycle
the movement of P around the biosphere
Algal bloom
a rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway
Hypoxic
low oxygen
Dead zone
when oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic life
Sulfur cycle
the movement of sulfur in 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 a 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
Troposphere
a layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth, extending approximately 16km (10 miles)
Stratosphere
the layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly 16-50km (10-31 miles) above the earth’s surface
Albedo
the percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface
Saturation point
the maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature
Adiabatic cooling
the cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands
Adiabatic heating
the heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of earth and decreases in volume
Latent heat release
the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water
Atmospheric convection current
global patterns of air movement that are initiated by the unequal heating of earth
Hadley cell
a convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
the latitude that receives the most intense sunlight, which causes the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells to converge
Polar cell
a convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60°N and 60°S and sinks at the poles 90°N and 90°S
Ferrell cell
a convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells
Coriolis effect
the deflection of an object’s path due to the rotation of earth
Rain shadow
a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side
Gyre
a large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
Upwelling
the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents
Thermohaline circulation
an oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water
El Niño- Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
a reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific
Terrestrial biome
a geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land
Aquatic biome
an aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow.
Habitat
an area where a particular species lives in nature
Tundra
a cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation
Permafrost
an impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil
Boreal forest
a forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons
Temperate rainforest
a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation
Temperate seasonal forest
a biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1m (39in) of precipitation annually
Woodland/shrubland
a biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters
Temperate grassland/cold desert
a biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers
Tropical rainforest
a warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation
Tropical seasonal forest/savanna
a biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons
Subtropical desert
a biome prevailing at approximately 30 N and 30 S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation
Littoral zone
the shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow
Limnetic zone
a zone of open water in lakes and ponds
Phytoplankton
floating algae
Benthic zone
muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean
Profundal zone
a region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes
Oligotrophic
describes a lake with a low level of productivity
Mesotrophic
describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity
Eutrophic
describes a lake with a high level of productivity
Freshwater wetland
an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
Salt marsh
a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates
Estuary
an area along the coast where the freshwater of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean
Mangrove swamp
a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water
Intertidal zone
the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide
Coral reef
the most diverse marine biome on earth, found in warm water, shallow waters beyond the shoreline
Coral bleaching
a phenomenon in which algae inside coral die, causing the corals to turn white
Open ocean
deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom
Photic zone
the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis
Aphotic zone
the deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis
Chemosynthesis
a process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide
Species richness
the number of species in a given area
Species evenness
the relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area
Phylogeny
the branching pattern of evolutionary relationships
Evolution
a change in the genetic composition of a population over time
Microevolution
evolution below the species level
Macroevolution
evolution that gives rise to new species, genera, families, classes, or phyla
Gene
a physical location on the chromosomes within each cell of an organism
Genotype
the complete set of genes in an individual
Phenotype
a set of traits expressed by an individual
Mutation
a random change in the genetic code produced by a mistake in the copying process
Recombination
the genetic process by which one chromosome breaks off and attaches to another chromosome during reproductive cell division
Evolution by artificial selection
the process in which humans determine which individuals breed, typically with a preconceived set of traits in mind
Evolution by natural selection
the process in which the environment determines which individuals survive and reproduce
Fitness-
an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce
Adaptation
a trait that improves an individual’s fitness
Gene flow
the process by which individuals move from one population to another and thereby alter the genetic composition or both populations
Genetic drift
a change in the genetic composition of a population over time as a result of random mating
Bottleneck Effect
a reduction in the genetic diversity of a population caused by a reduction in its size
Extinction
the death of the last member of a species
Founder effect
a change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals
Geographic isolation
physical separation of a group of individuals from others of the same species
Allopatric speciation
the process of speciation that occurs with geographic isolation
Reproductive isolation
the result of two populations within a species evolving separately to the point that they can no longer interbreed and produce viable offspring
Sympatric speciation
the evolution of one species into two, without geographic isolation
Genetically modified organism (GMO)
an organism produced by copying genes from a species with a desirable trait and inserting them into another species
Range of tolerance
the limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate
Fundamental niche
the suite of abiotic conditions under which a species can survive, grow, and reproduce.
Realized niche
the range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species actually lives
Distribution
areas of the world in which a species lives
Niche generalist
a species that can live under a wide range of abiotic or biotic conditions
Niche specialist
a species that is specialized to live in a specific habitat or to feed on a small group of species.
Mass extinction
a large extinction of species in a relatively short period of time
Scientific Method
Observation
Hypothesis
Experiment
Analyze
Test Results
What factors come to play in the range of tolerance?
Habitats, rainfall, humidity, salinity, ph level
The amount of solar energy varies: this concerns the seasons.
1st reason - the angle the sun’s rays strike the earth
2nd reason - variation in the amount of surface area which the sun’s rays are distributed
3rd reason - some areas of earth reflect more solar energy than others
Properties that determine how air circulates
1st property: density
2nd property: temperature
3rd property: pressure
4th property: water vapor
Human impacts on ecosystems
Overharvesting, Overfishing, Humans, invasive species, destroying of habitat.
