Environmental Systems ch.5

Question 1

photosynthesis

Answer 1

the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.

Question 2

producer

Answer 2

an organism that produces

Question 3

consumer

Answer 3

an animal that cannot produce its. own food and must eat plants or. other animals for energy.

Question 4

decomposer

Answer 4

An organism, often a bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem.

Question 5

cellular respiration

Answer 5

Cellular respiration is a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert chemical energy from oxygen molecules or nutrients into adenosine triphosphate, and then release waste products

Question 6

food chain

Answer 6

a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.

Question 7

food web

Answer 7

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

Question 8

trophic level

Answer 8

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

Question 9

carbon cycle

Answer 9

the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Question 10

nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Answer 10

microorganisms capable of transforming atmospheric nitrogen into fixed nitrogen

Question 11

nitrogen cycle

Answer 11

The nitrogen cycle is the circulation of nitrogen in various forms through nature. Learn more about Nitrates and ammonia resulting from nitrogen fixation are assimilated into the specific tissue compounds of algae and higher plants.

Question 12

phosphorus cycle

Answer 12

The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. … Low concentration of phosphorus in soils reduces plant growth, and slows soil microbial growth - as shown in studies of soil microbial biomass.

Question 13

ecological succession

Answer 13

is the process that describes how the structure of a biological community (that is, an interacting group of various species in a desert, forest, grassland, marine environment, and so on) changes over time.

Question 14

primary succession

Answer 14

in which plants and animals first colonize a barren, lifeless habitat.

Question 15

secondary succession

Answer 15

in which plants and animals recolonize a habitat after a major disturbance—such as a devastating flood, wildfire, landslide, lava flow, or human activity

Question 16

pioneer species

Answer 16

previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by fire. Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, so may be among the first of life forms, and break down the rocks into soil for plants.

Question 17

climax community

Answer 17

is the final stage of succession, remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference.