Hit Parade (Ch5) Flashcards
the production of ammonia or ammonium compounds in the decomposition of organic matter, especially through the action of bacteria
ammonification
the process in which plants absorb ammonium (NH3), ammonia ions (NH4+), and nitrate ions (NO3) through their roots
assimilation
producers; organisms that can produce their own organic compounds from inorganic compounds. They use energy from the sun or from the oxidation of inorganic substances
autotroph
the accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism
bioaccumulation
true extermination of a species. There are no individuals of this species left on the planet
biological extinction
the process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in each successive link in the food chain
biomagnification
the part of the earth and its atmosphere where living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life.
biosphere
an animal that only consumes other animals
carnivore
an organism, such as a bacterium or protozoan, that obtains its nourishment through the oxidation of inorganic chemical compounds, as opposed to photosynthesis
chemotroph (chemoautotroph)
a stable, mature, community in a successive series that has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment
climax community
the process of burning
combustion
a few individuals exist but the effort needed to locate and harvest them is not worth the expense
commercial or economic extinction
formed from populations of different species occupying the same geographic area
community
the process that occurs when two different species in a region compete and the better adapted species wins.
competitive exclusion
an organism that must obtain food energy from secondary sources, for example, by eating plant or animal matter
consumer
bacteria or fungi that absorb nutrients from nonliving organic matter like plant material, the wastes of living organisms, and corpses. They convert these materials into inorganic forms.
decomposer
the process by which specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria) convert ammonia to NO3, NO2, and N2 and release it back to the atmosphere
denitrification
organisms that derive energy from consuming nonliving organic matter, such as dead animals or fallen leaves. Earthworms and many species of fungi are detritivores.
detritivore
there are so few individuals of a species that this species can no longer perform its ecological function
ecological extinction
transition in species composition of a biological community, often following ecological disturbance of the community; the establishment of a biological community in any area virtually barren of life
ecological succession
the condition in which, at ecosystem boundaries, there is greater species diversity and biological density than there is in the heart of ecological communities
edge effect
the structure obtained if we organize the amount of energy contained in producers and consumers in an ecosystem by kilocalories per square meter, from largest to smallest
energy pyramid
to convert or change into a vapor
evaporation
change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals and resulting in the development of new species
evolution
the death of an entire species; permanent inactivity
extinction
a succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member, and, in turn, is preyed upon by a higher member
food chain
a complex of interrelated food chains in an ecological community
food web
states that no two species can occupy the same niche at the same time, and that the species that is less fit to live in the environment will either relocate, die out, or occupy a smaller niche
Gause’s principle
the amount of sugar that the plants produce in photosynthesis, and subtracting from it the amount of energy the plants need for growth, maintenance, repair, and reproduction
Gross Primary Productivity
the area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs
habitat
when the size of an organism’s natural habitat is reduced, or when development occurs that isolates a habitat
habitat fragmentation
an organism that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition
heterotroph
species that originate and live, or occur naturally, in an area or environment
indigenous species
an introduced, nonnative species
invasive species
a species whose very presence contributes to an ecosystem’s diversity and whose extinction would consequently lead to the extinction of other forms of life
keystone species
states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed
Law of Conservation of Matter
a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefti
mutualism
the process by which, according to Darwin’s theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations, while those less adapted tend to be eliminated
natural selection
the amount of energy that plants pass on to the community of herbivores in an ecosystem
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
the total sum of a species’ use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment
niche
the process in which soil bacteria convert ammonium (NH4+) to a form that can be used by plants; nitrate, or NO3.
nitrification
the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes
nitrogen fixation
organisms that consume both producers and primary consumers
omnivores
a symbiotic relationship in which one member is helped by the association and the other is harmed
parasitism
the process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source. Most forms release oxygen as a byproduct
photosynthesis
organisms in the first stages of succession
pioneer species
a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area
population
when one species feeds on another
predation
this category includes organisms that consume producers (plants and algae)
primary consumers
when ecological succession begins in a virtually lifeless area, such as the area behind a moving glacier
primary succession
an organism that is capable of converting radiant energy or chemical energy into carbohydrates
producer
when a species occupies a smaller niche than it would in the absence of competition
realized niche
a place where a large quantity of a resource sits for a long period of time
reservoir
the process in which animals (and plants!) breathe and give off carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism
respiration
the amount of time a resource spends in a reservoir or an exchange pool
residency time
organisms that consume primary consumers
secondary consumers
organisms that are capable of breeding with one another and incapable of breeding with other ones
species
close, prolonged associations between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but do not necessarily, benefit the members
symbiotic relationships
organisms that consume secondary consumers or other of these consumers
tertiary consumers
the act or process of transpiring, or releasing water vapor, especially through the stomata of plant tissue or the pores of the skin
transpiration
each of the feeding levels in a food chain
trophic level
