Energy and Matter Exchange in the Biosphere Flashcards

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1
Q

Biosphere

A

Where living organisms are found

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2
Q

Stratosphere

A

Ozone layer

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3
Q

Qualitative

A

Quality

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4
Q

Quantitative

A

How much of something

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5
Q

Extinct

A

Species that ceases to exist anywhere

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6
Q

Endangered

A

Close to extinction in all or significant large area

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7
Q

Extirpated

A

No longer exists in one part of country but exists in another

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8
Q

Threatened

A

Likely to become endangered due to certain factors

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9
Q

Of special concern

A

Any species that is at risk of low or declining numbers in areas of it’s range

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10
Q

Indicator Species

A

A species sensitive to small changes in environment, Ex. lichens

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11
Q

Keystone Species

A

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on the environment relative to it’s abundance, Ex. sea otters

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12
Q

Direct Rays

A

Energy from sun is concentrated and covers less surface area

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13
Q

Indirect Rays

A

Energy from sun is less concentrated and is spread out over more surface are

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14
Q

Insolation

A

Amount of solar energy recieved by the surface of a region is dependent on latitude, composition of spheres, and earth’s surface

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15
Q

Inclination

A

Degree by which earth’s poles are tilted from perpendicular

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16
Q

Equinox

A

Hemispheres recieve equal amounts of day and night

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17
Q

Solstice

A

Hemishpere recieves most and least hours of daylight

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18
Q

Orbit

A

Earth travels around the sun

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19
Q

Rotation

A

Earth spinning on it’s axis

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20
Q

Trophic Levels

A

A category of living things defined by how it gains energy

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21
Q

Autotrophs

A

First trophic level - “self feeders” - produces their own nutrients from radiant energy and abiotic factors (producers)

22
Q

Photosynthetic Autotrophs

A

An organism that is capable of using light energy to synthesize sugars from CO2, Ex. green plants, algae, cyanobacteria

23
Q

Chemosynthetic Autotrophs

A

Uses the energy released by the chemical reactions from photosynthetic autotrophs to make sugar

24
Q

Heterotrophs

A

“Other feeders” - consumes organic molecules from other organisms (consumers)

25
Q

Herbivores

A

Organisms that feed on plants, primary consumers, second trophic level

26
Q

Carnivores

A

Organisms that feed on meat, secondary consumers, third trophic level

27
Q

Omnivore

A

organisms that feed on both plants and animals

28
Q

Decomposers

A

Organisms that break down dead or decaying matter, can’t be put on trophic level

29
Q

Food Chain

A

A step by step sequence linking organisms that feed on other organisms, ecosystems are more complex as organisms depend on several other organisms (arrows show diection of energey transfer)

30
Q

Food web

A

Interconnecting food chains, shows the complexity of an ecosystem (arrows show direction of energy transfer)

31
Q

First law of thermodynamics

A

Energy is not created nor destroyed but transferred from one ecosystem to another

32
Q

Second law of thermodynamics

A

As energy is tranferred, it loses thermal energy to it’s surroundings

33
Q

Energy ______

A

Flows

34
Q

Matter ______

A

Cycles

35
Q

Earth is a …

A

Closed system - elements are in limited quantity before they are reused

36
Q

Ecological Pyramids

A

Represents interactions of trophic levels in an ecosystem

37
Q

Loss of energy in ecological pyramids

A
  • Growth and metabolism in each tier (thermal energy loss)
  • Incomplete digestion of material in previous tier
  • Not all matter is consumed from previous tier
38
Q

Rule of 10%

A

In ecological pyramids, only about 10% of energy available passes to next trophic level

39
Q

Pymaid of numbers (type of ecological pyramid)

A

Measures the number of organisms at each trophic level

40
Q

Pyramid of energy (type of ecological pyramid)

A

Measures the amount of energy at each trophic level

41
Q

Pyramid of biomass (type of ecological pyramid)

A

Measures the amount of biomass of the organism at each trophic level

42
Q

Biogeochemical Cycles

A

Moves matter through the biotic and abiotic world

43
Q

Hydrological Cycle (water cycle)

A

evaporation - condensation - precipitation - infiltration - runoff - transpiration - water table - storage (in atmosphere, ice, snow,freshwater, oceans)

44
Q

Infiltration

A

Water from surface entering soil

45
Q

Percolation

A

Movement of water through soil

46
Q

What is different about the phosphorous cycle compared to other cycles?

A

The phosphorous cycle does not include the atmosphere

47
Q

Biomagnifaction / bioamplifacation

A

The increase in concentration of a substance (pollutant) that occurs in the food chain from one link to the next

48
Q

Bioaccumulation

A

The increase in concentration of a substance (pollutant) in tissues of an organism

49
Q

Eutrophication

A

Characterized by excessive plant and algal growth due to increased availability of one or more limiting factors, Ex. plant nutrients

50
Q

Biochemical Cycles

A
  • water cycle
  • carbon cycle
  • nitrogen cycle
  • phosphorus cycle