Exam Revision Flashcards
Ecology
The study of the interaction between organisms and the environment
Biome
Contain many ecosystems. Influenced by global weather and climate patterns.
Ecosystem
A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms and their abiotic components. Made up of habitats.
Habitats
Specific areas that make up and ecosystem, containing a variety of communities and interacting species.
Community
An ecological community is made up of various species interacting in a habitat.
Species
A group of similar or the same organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
Population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Individual
A singular organism.
System
A set of interrelated elements to make a unified whole.
Inputs
The matter/energy within/entering a system.
Outputs
The matter/energy produced from a system.
Components
The elements within a system.
Boundary
The physical barriers of a system.
Ecological processes
The act of the elements (biotic/abiotic) in an ecosystem that interact and undergo change.
Systems Thinking
Process for understanding how seemingly independent units within a larger entity are interrelated and influence one another.
Open System
A system in which matter and energy can be freely exchanged with the surrounding environment.
Closed System
A system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across the system’s boundary.
Semi-permeable System
A system by which certain matter and energy can be exchanged through the system’s boundary.
Food Chain
Series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy via consummation.
Food Web
Network of interactions formed by the transfer of energy among the various organisms in an ecosystem.
Autotroph
Organisms that produce their own energy (i.e. photosynthesizing plants).
Heterotroph
Organisms that obtain energy through the foods it consumes; also called a consumer.
Decomposers
Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms.
Producer
An organism that produces its own food/energy (i.e. plants).
Consumer
An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms. Consumers are classified depending on their trophic levels on the food pyramid. Primary consumers are the first order of consumers, they feed on producers. Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, etc.
Trophic levels
The hierarchical, successive levels of the food chain through which energy flows from primary producers to primary consumers, secondary consumers and so on.
Pyramid of numbers
Representation of the number of individual organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem.
Pyramid of biomass
Representation of the total amount of living material available at each trophic level. The area at the bottom corresponds to the producer level. It represents the greatest amount of living material.
Hydrosphere
Encapsulates all the water at and near the surface of the Earth, 97% of which is in oceans.
Lithosphere
Encapsulates the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle.
Soil profiles/horizons
Soil profiles are the layers of soil that are divided into horizons.
Soil Porsity
The porousness of the soil/spaces between each soil particle.
Soil Compaction
When soil is pressed down tightly resulting in the removal of air pockets; therefore not allowing water to penetrate or plants to grow.
Soil Fertility
The measure of a soil’s ability to hold nutrients and to supply nutrients to a plant.
Biosphere
Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.
Biota
Biotic factors of an ecosystem.
Biotic
Living things.
Atmosphere
Encapsulates the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth.
Troposphere
0-17 km above Earth’s surface, site of weather, organisms, contains most atmospheric water vapor. (temperature decreases with increasing altitude, pressure decreases).
Stratosphere
12 to 50 km, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation.
Mesosphere
50 to 80 km, most meteorites burn up here.
Thermosphere
The thermosphere is the layer above the mesosphere, characterized throughout by an increase in temperature with height.
Weather
The state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
Climate
The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Biogeochemical (nutrient) cycles
The cycles by which nutrients move through air, water, soil, rock, and living organisms.
Carbon-oxygen cycle
Movement of oxygen and carbon through the ecosphere (via; photosynthesis, respiration, combustion, deforestation, decomposition, fossilization).
Photosynthesis
Process by which photosynthetic organisms convert CO2 and H2O to C6H12O6 and O2.
Respiration
Process by which respiratory organisms convert C6H12O6 and O2 to CO2 and H2O
Combustion
The burning of organic compounds converting it into CO2 and other greenhouse gasses.
Deforestation
The action of clearing a wide area of forest.
Decomposition
The process by which organic material/waste breaks down into nutrients (via bacteria/microorganisms).
Fossilization
Preservation via lithification (turning something to stone) of organic remains.
Hydrological cycle
Cycle of water, the movement of water and its transformation between the gaseous (vapor), liquid, and solid forms (via; evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface-run off, infiltration, percolation, transpiration).
Condensation
The change of the water’s state from a gas to a liquid.
Precipitation
Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground after condensation of atmospheric water vapor.
Surface run-off
Water that stays on top of the land and flows back to a water source.
Infiltration
Flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface.
Percolation
The process by which water moves downward in the soil, toward the water table.
Aquifers
An underground water reservoir.
Evaporation
Water is heated and converted from liquid to gas.
Nitrogen Cycle
The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere (via; nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, denitrification).
Nitrogen fixation
Process of converting nitrogen gas compounds into nitrogen compounds (i.e. NH3) that plants can absorb and use.
Nitrification
The process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by nitrifying bacteria from NH3 or other fixated compounds.
Assimilation
Absorption of nitrogen compounds via consumption.
Ammonification
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in organic waste and convert it into ammonium (NH3).
Denitrification
The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas via denitrifying bacteria which is then released into the atmosphere.
Daily changes
Changes in the weather and biological activity during the span of 24 hours.
Circadian rhythm
The daily cycle that follows the rising/setting of the sun that affects the physiological patterns of organisms.
Diurnal/Nocturnal/Crepuscular
Diurnal: Organisms that are active during the day.
Monthly changes
Changes in the tidal and migratory pattern of particularly aquatic organisms that follow the lunar rhythm that shifts every 28-29 days.
Ecological succession
The gradual change in the structure and composition of an ecosystem.
Primary succession
The development of an ecosystem without a prior existing community.
Secondary succession
The development of an ecosystem with pre-existing soil.
Pioneer species
First species to populate an area (of bare rock and ash) during primary succession.
Climax community
The final stage of succession, where a stable community is formed with maximum biological activity.
Cultural burning
The burning of small patches of forest using ‘cool flame’, practiced by Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders to manage the growth of undershrub and detritus to promote biodiversity and prevent ‘hot flames’ that are present as uncontrollable bushfires.
Greenhouse effect
Process by which heat is retained in Earth’s atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases.
Carbon sequestration
A method of storing atmospheric carbon compounds in to prevent their release into the atmosphere and reduce human’s ‘carbon footprint’.
Biological sequestration
Carbon taken up by plants in photosynthesis can be stored in large reserves of plant matter, is process known as biological sequestration.
Geological sequestration
Process by which CO2 is captured from industrial processes and injected as liquid form into underground stores.
Water reclamation
Processes of treating wastewater to make it safe for reuse or recycling.
Stakeholders
All the entities effected/involved within a case.
Regulatory frameworks
Rules that govern the way developments must proceed to ensure responsible decisions are made. Eg. emissions limits, sewerage treatment regulations.
Value systems
A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual’s values:
Variables (scientific)
Independent variable - variable you are changing (i.e. amount of water to a plant)
Quantitative
Data that is in numbers/units.
Qualitative
Data in the form of words.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
Graphs
Charts that represent data (Ex: Pie, Bar, Line).
Pollution
Matter or energy that has the potential to harm human/environmental health.
Primary/secondary pollution
Primary pollution: pollutants directly discharged into environment
Waste
A material of a byproduct eliminated/discarded as it is no longer useful/required after the completion of a process.
Contaminants
The presence of a substance where it does not naturally occur or is found at concentrations above background levels.
Sources
Where pollutants are released;
Emissions
Production/discharge of something;
Pollution sinks
Reserves where a pollutant may accumulate or become stored.
Bioaccumulation
Buildup of pollutant in particularly organisms of high trophic levels in the food chain.
Biomagnification
Condition where chemical concentration of pollutant in an organism exceeds the concentration of its food when the major exposure route occurs from the organisms diet.
Bioconcentration
The specific bioaccumulation process by which the concentration of a chemical in an organism becomes higher than its concentration in the air or water around the organism.
Mercury as a pollutant
Organic mercury: Methyl mercury (CH3Hg), Ethylmercury (C6H5Hg) -> Fat soluble, bioaccumulates -> Assimilated by organisms from inorganic forms -> Very (chronic) toxic
Exposure
Amount of pollutant an individual/population is exposed to in a given time.
Absorption
Process of taking in an energy/substance by chemical or physical action
Dosage
How much pollutant is actually absorbed by an organism (mg/g)
Toxicity
Measure of harm a substance causes to organisms:
Threshold pollutant
Is a substance that is harmful to a particular organism once it reached a certain concentration, or threshold level
Endocrine disruptors
Chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an organism’s body
Lethal Dose (LD50)
Dose required to kill 50% of a population.
Environmental indicators
Indicators used to assess the overall condition of the environment.
Physical indicators
Assesses the physical condition of the environment (light intensity, turbidity, temperature).
Chemical indicators
Used to assess the chemical properties of the environment (pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, nutrients).
Socioeconomic indicators
Provides data on the nations economy (education, infrastructure, income, etc.).
Biological indicators
Species that can be used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem.
Ecological niche
The way a species fits into an ecosystem,, or the role it plays in its community.
Dissolved oxygen (BOD)
Measure of the amount of oxygen dissolved in water.
Macroinvertebrates
Organisms without a backbone that can be seen without a microscope.
Traditional farming
Conventional farming that involves large scale monocultures and is often unsustainable.
Organic farming
Sustainable polyculture farming methods that follow the ecological principles and whole system food management approach(es).
Food security
Having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food.
Food insecurity
Insufficiency of food.
Ethical consumption
Conscious consumption that minimizes environmental impact.
Ecological footprint
A measure of how much an individual consumes, expressed in area of land.
Carbon footprint
The total carbon dioxide emissions produced by an individual, group, or location.
Life Cycle Analysis
A process that attempts to identify the effect a product has on resources over its entire lifetime.
CPR
C - condition
SOE
State of Environment (government publication)
