Section 4

Question 1

George Evelyn Hutchinson British ecologist

Answer 1

“the father of modern ecology”

Question 2

ecology

Answer 2

connections between living organisms and their nonliving environment, includes biology

Question 3

organisms are grouped by similarities:

Answer 3

kingdoms, phylum, classes, and species

Question 4

members of the same species are able to…

Answer 4

mate and produce fertile offspring

Question 5

population

Answer 5

entire grouping of a species that occupies a given area

Question 6

genetic diversity

Answer 6

arises as a result of chance genetic mutations and sexual reproduction. random genetic changes accumulate in the genome and are passed through the population via sexual reproduction

Question 7

ecosystem

Answer 7

the abiotic or nonliving components in our habitat

Question 8

biome

Answer 8

group of similar ecosystems, classified based on climates and vegetation
ex: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra

Question 9

microbiome

Answer 9

of the dermal ecosystem: microbiota and biota on and in the skin of animals and humans

Question 10

ecosystem services:

Answer 10

water purification, nutrient cycling, biological pest control, medicine and food, biodiversity and gene pools, buffer and flood control, erosion prevention, air filter

Question 11

Large ecological regions with characteristic types of natural vegetation are called

Answer 11

biomes

Question 12

life support systems 4

Answer 12

atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

Question 13

atmosphere

Answer 13

thin layer of air surrounding the planet

Question 14

troposphere

Answer 14

inner layer, composed of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen

Question 15

stratosphere

Answer 15

abundant ozone

Question 16

hydrosphere

Answer 16

water on Earth, form of liquid water at the surface, and underground

Question 17

lithosphere

Answer 17

land or rock layer of Earth, upper mantle and the Earth’s crust, both oceanic and continental, rich in minerals and fossil fuels

Question 18

biosphere

Answer 18

aka living sphere where living organisms exist and interact, includes the hydrosphere, portions of the lower atmosphere, and upper lithosphere

Question 19

gravity

Answer 19

allows planet to hold onto its atmosphere, accounts for the earth ward movement of chemistry in biogeochemical cycles

Question 20

climate

Answer 20

long term weather patterns

Question 21

ecotone

Answer 21

transitional zone between two ecosystems/biomes

Question 22

aquatic life zones

Answer 22

biomes in water

Question 23

abiotic

Answer 23

air, water, solar energy and nutrients

Question 24

biotic

Answer 24

two types: producers and consumers

Question 25

producers

Answer 25

produce own food | ex: plants and bacteria

Question 26

consumers

Answer 26

feed off other organisms

Question 27

photosynthesis

Answer 27

CO2 (g) + H2O --> O2 + C6H12O6 (sugar)

Question 28

Shelford's Law of Tolerance

Answer 28

certain factors control abundance/distribution of an organism where levels exceed min/max limits of tolerance within a species

Question 29

limiting factor

Answer 29

take precedence over all factors in affecting a population of organisms

Question 30

4 diversities

Answer 30

genetic, species, ecological, and functional

Question 31

food chain

Answer 31

is the order of trophic levels, very specific and unchanging

Question 32

Trophos

Answer 32

Greek for nourishment

Question 33

Trophos

Answer 33

study of how energy flows from the Sun to other organisms

Question 34

chemosynthesis

Answer 34

organisms that do not use the sun as their energy source, but instead use chemicals

Question 35

ecological efficiency

Answer 35

% that indicates the amount of usable energy transferred as biomass from one level to the next

Question 36

rule of 10

Answer 36

only 10% of usable energy is transferred as biomass from one trophic level to the next, the rest is lost to the environment as low quality heat, a byproduct of metabolism

Question 37

measurement of energy

Answer 37

kilo calorie or unit of energy of 1,000 calories per meter squared per year

Question 38

diversity index

Answer 38

measurement number of ecosystems

Question 39

productivity

Answer 39

rate of solar conversion -> phtosynthesis by producers, gross privacy productivity (GPP)

Question 40

biomass

Answer 40

weight of all organisms, matter gets transferred with each exchange, some energy is lost as low quality heat

Question 41

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 41

only a fraction of what is consumed is converted into more biomass and the amount of energy available for use declines with each transfer

Question 42

Net Primary Product (NPP)

Answer 42

rate at which energy use is stored and available for use then measured as available energy any given time NPP = GPP - plant respiration

Question 43

biogeochemical cycles

Answer 43

driven by solar energy and include all atoms and molecules living organisms need to grow, live, and reproduce

Question 44

hydrologic cycle

Answer 44

cycling of water from the atmosphere to the oceans and lands through organisms and back to the atmosphere, naturally purifies water (evaporation, condensation and precipitation with transpiration and sublimation)

Question 45

atmospheric cycle

Answer 45

N2 + C2 -> exists in gaseous form in atmosphere

Question 46

nitrogen fixation

Answer 46

atmospheric N2 -> NH3

Question 47

nitrification

Answer 47

conversion of NH3 within soil -> nitrate ions

Question 48

assimilation

Answer 48

absorption of NH3, ammonium ions + nitrate ions into plant roots from H2O and soil

Question 49

ammonification

Answer 49

conversion from N2 into rich organic compounds

Question 50

denitrification

Answer 50

conversion of NH3 into nitrates and nitrates back into N2 (g)

Question 51

phosphorus

Answer 51

found in water, earth's crust and living organisms

Question 52

sulfur

Answer 52

returns to earth by plants taking in sulfur dioxide during rain and photosynthesis