Final Exam Flashcards
Indicator Species
A species sensitive to small changes in environmental conditions
Biosphere
The narrow zone around Earth that harbours life
Equilibrium
A state of physical balance
Trophic Levels
A category of living things defined by how it gains its energy; the first tropic level contains autotrophs, and each higher level contains heterotrophs
Food Chains
A sequence linking organisms that feed on each other, starting with a food source and continuing in order with each consumer
Food Webs
A representation of the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem
Autotrophs
An organism that uses the Suns energy and raw materials to make its own food; a producer
Heterotrophs
An organism that is incapable of making its own food, and so must feed on other organisms to gain energy
Monoculture
Cultivation of a single species
Chemosynthesis
The process by which non-photosynthetic organisms convert inorganic chemicals to organic compounds without solar energy
Transpiration
The loss of water through plant leaves
Leaching
The removal of soluble minerals by percolation
Water Table
The boundary between the layer of soil that is saturated with water, and the unsaturated soil above it
Albedo
A term used to describe the extent to which a surface can reflect light that strikes it; an Albedo of 0.08 means that 8% of the light is reflected
Niche
Status of an organism within its environment an community
Limiting factors
Factor that controls a process
Adaptation
The action or process of adapting or being adapted
Natural selection
The result of differential reproductive success of individuals caused by variations in their inherited characteristics
Biome
A large geographical region with a specific range of temperatures and precipitation, and the organisms that are adapted to those conditions of temperature and precipitation
Permafrost
Permanently frozen soil
Plankton
Autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms found in the limnetic zone of a lake or pond
Humus
Decaying plant and animal matter
Ecotone
A transition area between ecosystems
Oligotrophic
Having low nutrient levels
Eutrophic
Having high nutrient levels
Biological oxygen demand (BOD)
The amount of dissolved oxygen needed by decomposers to completely break down the organic matter in a water sample at 20*C over five days
Oxidation
A reaction in which an atom or molecule loses electrons
Reduction
A reaction in which an atom or molecule gains electrons
Photon
A packet of light
Photolysis
A chemical reaction in which a compound is broken down by light; in photosynthesis, water molecules are split up by photolysis
Active transport
Movement of substances across cell membranes against a concentration gradient which uses energy
Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 Max)
The maximum volume of oxygen, in millilitres, that the cells of the body can remove from the blood stream in one minute per kilogram of body mass while the body experiences maximum exertion
Lactic acid threshold
The value of exercise intensity at which lactic acid production increases
