Ecosystem Ecology Flashcards
what is an ecosystem
a particular location on Earth distinguished by its particular mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components
how do ecosystems interact with one another
through the exchange of matter and energy
what is an autotroph
organism that uses energy from the environment to make chemcial energy
what is a consumer
obtains energy by consuming other organisms
what is a primary consumer
consumes producers
what is secondary consumer
obtains energy by eating primary consumers
what is a teritary consumer
eats secondary consumers
what is a quaternary consumer
eats teritary consumers
what is an omnivore
eats both animals and plants
what is a detritivore
eats dead organisms
what is a decomposer
chemically breaks down dead organisms
what is the typical maximum amount of terrestrial trophic levels
4 to 5
what is the typical amount of trophic levels in aquatic systems
5 to 6
what is a food chain
sequence of consumption from producers through teritary consmers
what is a food web
more realistic type of food chain that takes in account of the complexity of nature
what is GPP
total amount of solar energy that producers capture through photosynthesis over time
what is NPP
energy captured minus energy respired by producers
what is biomass
energy in an ecosystem is measured in terms of biomass
what is a standing crop
amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
what is ecological efficiency
proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
what is a trophic pyramid
representation of the distribution of biomass among trophic levels
what is the biosphere
combination of all ecosystems on earth
what are biogeochemical cycles
movement of matter withing and between ecosystems
what does CHONPS stand for
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfure
what is eutrophication
when phosphorus causes rapid growth of algae which uses up oxygen, causing dead zones
what is a disturbanc e
event caused by physical chemical or biological agents that results in changes in population size or community composition
what is resistance
measure of how much a disturbance can affect its flows of energy and matter
what is resilience
rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance
what is the immediate disturbance hypothesis
states that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of distrbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels
what are provisions
goods that humans can use directyl
what are regulating services
service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions
what are support systems
support services that natural ecosystems provide
what are cultural services
ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people
what is intrinsic value
worth independent of any benefit it may provide to humans
what is the first law of thermodynamics
energy can not be created or destroyed
what is the second law of thermodynamics
entropy of any isolated system always increases
what is the third law of thermodynamics
as temperature approahces absolute zero, entropy of system approaches constant minimum
what is the zeroth law of thermodynamics
if two thermodynamic systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third one, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other
