definitions test 3 Flashcards
the bodies of the living organisms within a given area
standing crop
short for Dissolved Organic Matter
DOM
the difference between gross primary productivity and autrotrophic respiration
net primary productivity
the consistent atomic ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus of 15:1 found in marine phytoplankton
the Redfield ratio
the two major components of dead leaves and wood
lignin and cellulose
dead organic matter
detritus
the percentage of energy ingested by an animal that is absorbed across the gut wall
assimilation efficiency (AE)
bacteria and fungi that feed on dead organic matter
decomposers
the total fixation of energy by photosynthesis
gross primary productivity
flux of materials dissolved in rain and snow
wetfall
the rate at which biomass is produced per unit area or volume through photosynthesis
primary productivity
the rate of production of biomass by heterotrophs
secondary productivity
the settling of atmospheric particles during periods without rain
dryfall
a condition in which a mutualistic relationship with other species is essential for a species to survive
obligate mutualism
the system that herbivores and carnivores constitute together
live consumer system
the precentage of energy (or organic matter) at one trophic level that is transferred to the next
trophic transfer efficiency
short for “Net Ecosystem Productivity”
NEP
detritivores that feed on coarse particulate organic matter
shredders
detritivores that consume the fine particulate organic matter that otherwise would be carried downstream
collector-filterers
animals that consume dead organic matter
detritivores
situation where both nitrogen ans phosphorus are limiting for plant production
colimitation
the condition in which one or both species in a mutualistic association may survive and maintain populations in the absence of the other partner
facultative mutualism
the law that states that the growth of a plant is primarily limited by the one nutrient that is in relatively short supply
Liebig’s Law of the minimum
this plant nutrient is sometimes limiting in the open oceans
iron
the percentage of energy that is actually consumed at the trophic level
consumption efficiency (CE)
the percentage of energy assimilated by an organism that becomes incorporated into new biomass
production efficiency (PE)
a constantly moving system of deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity
global ocean conveyor belt
the Swedish scientist that predicted the critical role of carbon dioxide in human-accelerated global climate change in 1896
Arrhenius
the German scientist who invented synthetic nitrogen fertilizer through a process that converts molecular N2 to ammonia gas
Haber
natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations
shale gas
the threshold that, when exceeded, can lead to large changes in the state of the climate
climate tipping point
the production of methane by bacteria in the absence of oxygen
methanogenesis
a measure of the influence a given climatic factor has on the amount of downward-directed radiant energy impinging upon Earth’s surface
radiative forcing
the set of research technology transfer initiatives occurring between 1950 and the late 1960s, that increased agricultural production worldwide; also called the Third Agricultural Revolution
the Green Revolution
the first scientist to confirm that atmospheric CO2 levels were rising, by measuring the CO2 in the air at Mauna Loa, Hawaii
Keeling
a process in which the end products of an action cause more of that action to occur in a feedback loop - this amplifies the original action
positive feedback loop
a type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons; melting of this biome may cause huge methane emissions
tundra
this greenhouse gas, emitted by cows, is responsible for about 30% of the warming caused by carbon dioxide
methane
a process in which the product of a reaction leads to a decrease in that reaction - this creates stability or homeostasis in the system
negative feedback loop
caused or influenced by humans
anthropogenic
the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
ocean acidification
a loss of vigor amongst offspring occurring when closely related individuals mate
inbreeding depression
the various benefits that humans derive from healthy ecosystems
ecosystem services
random changes in gene frequency within a population resulting from sampling effects, rather than natural selection
genetic drift
the minimum population size for a rare species to be able to preserve its numbers and survive
minimum viable population size (MVP)
an estimate of the size of a population based on the numbers of females and males that successfully breed; generally smaller than the total population
effective population
when individuals are removed from a population faster than they can be replenished
overexploitation
a form of maintaining species artificially and off-site, like: captive breeding, gene and seed banks, zoos and aquaria
ex situ conservation
a switch from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates
demographic transition
infections that circulate naturally in nonhuman vertebrate hosts but can be transmitted from these to humans
zoonoses
excess input of inorganic nutrients from agricultural runoff and human sewage
cultural eutrophication
anoxic parts of the ocean floor
dead zones
any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or lessening the damage of any pest
pesticide
accumulation and transfer of substances via food webs, resulting in an increase of internal concentration in organisms at succeeding levels in the trophic chain
biomagnification
the maximum crop or yield that can be removed repeatedly from a population without driving it towards extinction
maximum sustainable yield (MSY)
the farming of domesticated fish, shellfish, and algae and occurs in both coastal marine ecosystems and freshwaters
aquaculture
