Science test unit 1 gr9 Flashcards
Ownership View
States that we did not own the land and we should not try to change it in any way. Even if we believe were doing it for a greater good
Frontier View
Says that we can affect the environment as long as it is beneficial for us (especially for monetary gains)
Stewardship View
An ethic that embodies cooperative planning and management of environment resources with organizations and communities to actively engage in the prevention of habitat loss
What is Biology?
Biology is the study of living organisms
What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of the interaction between all living things and their environment
What is an ecological hierarchy?
The ecological hierarchy shows the connections and relationships between all living things and their environment
What is an individual?
This level looks at how one organism interacts with the environment. These range from things as small as bacteria to as large as a Blue Whale.
Population
A collection of individuals belonging to the same species. Usually this is measured for a given area
Community
A collection of populations within a given area; All organisms in a community interact in some way; even if its not an obvious way
Ecosystem
The community and the non- living things (a-biotic factors) that they interact with and affect them (sometimes in not so obvious ways)
Biomes
A collection of ecosystems that have similar properties such as climate and organisms
Biosphere
The sphere in which all the Biomes exist; it includes all living things and non living things as well!
The Earth consists of 3 other sub-spheres; lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
Lithosphere
The rock sphere
Includes the ground we stand on and all the different parts/ layers of the Earth(crust mantle, outer core, inner core
Hydrosphere
The water sphere
Includes moisture in the air (clouds), rivers,lakes and oceans on the surface and any water tht exists below the ground
Atmosphere
The air sphere
The envelope of gases that surround the earth
Species
A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
Biotic Factors
The components of an ecosystem that are or once were living
Abiotic factors
The components of an ecosystem that are non-living
Competition
Species compete for resources
ex: rabbits and deer
Predation
One species hunts another
ex:Fox looking to hunt
Mutualism
The species interact in a way that benefits both of them
ex: bee and flower
Commensalism
One species benefits from the interaction, the other is not affected
ex: bird nesting in tree
artificial ecosystem
Created and often maintained by people
Natural ecosystem
Exists naturally
independent variable
dependent variable
control variable
hypothesis
An educated guess using if, then, because
producer
organsims that make their own food through photosynthesis
Consumer
Consumers eat (consume) other organisms
Detritus
Detritus is dead organic matter
decomposer
Decomposers are organisms that consume (or decompose) detritus
Food chain
A simple diagram showing how energy flows from one organism to another when one organism consumes the other
Food web
A combination of many food chains ( more accurately show what happens in an ecosystem)
Herbivore
Get their energy from eating plants
Carnivore
Get their energy from eating other animals
Omnivore
Are able to consume both plants and other animals
Autotrophs
An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food
ex: Plants, Algae, some bacteria
heterotrophs
A heterotroph is an organism that does not make its own food
ex: animals, Most protozoa, most bacteria
Littoral zone
Shallow water, from shore to where rooted plants stop; the limit of light penetration. This is the area where plants can perform photosynthesis.
Limnetic zone
Deep water, this region starts where the plants stop growing. It consists of two components (Euphotic and Profundal).
Euphotic Zone
The region where photosynthesis can take place (for algae).
Profundal Zone
The region where photosynthesis cannot take place; it is past the limit of light penetrability.
Benthic Zone
A layer of detritus at the bottom of the lake. There are lots of decomposers here and this makes the soil here very good for plants.
Eutrophication
when nutrients and sediment settle in the PROFUNDAL zone and gradually, the lake becomes more SHALLOW and MURKY.
What is the place where plants can no longer grow as sunlight doesn’t reach, referred to
limit of light penetrability
littoral zone
shallow water, from shore to where rooted plants stop; the limit of light penetration. This is the area where plants can perform photosynthesis
limnetic zone
Deep water, this region starts where plants stop growing. It consists of two components Euphotic and Profundal
Benthic Zone
A layer of detritus at the bottom of the lake.There are a lot of decomposers here and this makes the soil here very good for plants.
Euphotic zone
The region where photosynthesis can take place(for algae)
Profundal Zone
The region where photosynthesis cannot take place (past the limit of light penetrability
Oligotrophic lakes
deep,cool lakes
larger profundal zoneHigh Oxygen Levels in water
Short Food Chains (not biodiverse)
Few Nutrients
Water appears Clear
Eutrophic lakes
Shallow, warm lakes
Minimal Profundal Zone
Low Oxygen Levels
Longer Food Chains (plant biodiversity)
Many Nutrients
Murky water (muddy, dark, not clear)
eutrophication
when nutrients and sediment settle in the profundal zone and gradually, the lake becomes more biodiverse.
The carbon cycle
The process where carbon continually travels from the atmosphere, to earth, back to the atmosphere
Most carbon on earth is stored in rocks, oceans, the atmosphere and living organisms
The nitrogen cycle
The water cycle
Where is carbon released
animals during respiration
factory and car emissions
when organisms die
Effects of thermal pollution
Many industries pump cold water from the bottoms of lakes and discharge warm water into the Euphotic Zone of lakes.
So what happens as a result?
Eutrophication - more sediment wastes from factories and warmer waters.
Law of Tolerance - Some organisms can no longer tolerate the change in temperature
How do we test for this pollution?
Use a thermometer to test the temperature at different spots in the lake or rivers.
Deforestation
Why do we do this?
Agriculture Expansion
Wood Extraction
Urbanization (roads, buildings)
And more!
What effects can this have on an ecosystem?
Loss of habitat (could lead to reducing species populations)
Reduction of nutrients in the soil
Less carbon dioxide removed from atmosphere could lead to global warming
Water cycle is affected (Less rainfall)
