Ecosystems Flashcards
Atmosphere
Atmosphere refers to the gases surrounding a star or planetary body held in place by gravity. A body is more likely to retain an atmosphere over time if gravity is high and the temperature of the atmosphere is low
Ocean Atmosphere System
The oceans and the atmosphere are the two large reservoirs of water in the Earth’s hydrologic cycle. The two systems are intricately linked to one another and are responsible for Earth’s weather and climate. The oceans help to regulate temperature in the lower part of the atmosphere
lithosphere
The lithosphere is the solid outer section of Earth, which includes Earth’s crust (the “skin” of rock on the outer layer of planet Earth), as well as the underlying cool, dense, and rigid upper part of the upper mantle.
Oceanic lithosphere consists mainly of mafic crust and ultramafic mantle (peridotite) and is denser than continental lithosphere, for which the mantle is associated with crust made of felsic rocks. Oceanic lithosphere thickens as it ages and moves away from the mid-ocean ridge.
hydrosphere
Oceans, rivers, lakes, and clouds are all typically included in the hydrosphere. The watery parts of our planet, including vapor that hovers above the Earth’s surface and water that’s underground, make up its hydrosphere.
The hydrosphere is the liquid water component of the Earth. It includes the oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The hydrosphere covers about 70% of the surface of the Earth and is the home for many plants and animals.
abiotic
non-living part of the physical and chemical parts of an environment. Examples of this would be the sun and dirt.
biotic
relating or resulting in living things. Most of the time this refers to the environment. Some examples of these would be animals or plants.
organism
any at less single celled thing that shows the properties of life
population
a group of organisms that belong to the same species
community
groups of different organisms living together
ecosystem
community of interdependent organisms in an environment
herbivore
A herbivore is often defined as any organism that eats only plants.
carnivores
An animal or plant (particularly insect- and invertebrate-eating plants) that requires a staple diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue through predation or scavenging.
omnivorves
An omnivore is a kind of animal that eats either other animals or plants. Some omnivores will hunt and eat their food, like carnivores, eating herbivores and other omnivores.
decomposer
Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so, they carry out the natural process of decomposition. Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use organic substrates to get their energy, carbon and nutrients for growth and development.
food chain
a linear illustration that represents the step sequence of who eats whom in the biosphere.
producer
Producers are organisms that can make their own energy through biochemical processes, which are just processes in living things that involve chemical reactions
primary
primary consumer feel on autotrophs
secondary
feeds on primary consumers
tertiary
Tertiary consumers can be either fully carnivorous or omnivorous. Humans are an example of a tertiary consumer. Secondary and tertiary producers both must hunt for their food so they are referred to as predators
evaporation
is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase
condensation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it
transpiration
is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers
solar radiation
is radiant energy emitted by the sun from a nuclear fusion reaction that creates electromagnetic energy
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that can later be released to fuel the organisms’ activities
respiration
a process in living organisms involving the production of energy, typically with the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide from the oxidation of complex organic substances.
