Topics 1 & 2 Flashcards
Abiotic
Non-living things in an environment
Biomagnification
When concentration of a substance increases with each subsequent trophic level
Biome
A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions
Biotic
Animals, plants, all living things in an environment
Carnivores
Animals that consume other animals
Cellular Respiration
The process that organisms use to release chemical bond energy from food.
Climax Community
An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment
Closed System
A system where energy and not matter is exchanged
Community
An assemblage of populations occupying the same geographic areas at the same time
Consumers
Second trophic level and above; consume the energy of the producers and lower level consumers
Decomposers
Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic matter
Density-Dependant Factor
Those limiting factors that become more severe as the size of the population increases.
Density-Independent Factor
Those limiting factors that are not affected by population size.
Diversity
The degree of variation of life in an ecosystem
Ecosystem
A community of living organisms in conjunction with nonliving components
Environmental Gradient
A gradual change in abiotic factors through space or time
Environmental Impact Statement
The process of evaluating the likely environmental impact of a proposed project or development
Equilibrium
A state of balance.
First Law of Thermodynamics
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created or destroyed; it only changes forms.
Flow
Energy that goes from one thing to another; indicated with arrows
Gaia
The whole earth; all ecosystems; “Mother Earth”
Genetic Diversity
The total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species
Gross Productivity
The total gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time, which could be through photosynthesis in primary producers or absorption in consumers.
Habitat
The natural home or environment of an organism
Habitat Diversity
The range of habitats present in a region
Herbivores
Animals that consume only plants
Isolated System
A system where neither energy or matter are energy are exchanged
K-Strategist
Species that usually concentrate their reproductive investment in a small number of offspring, thus increasing their survival rate and adapting them for living in long-term climax communities.
Limiting Factor
The primary condition of the environment that determines the population size for an organism.
Lincoln Index
A statistical measure of population to account for population not yet measured
Negative Feedback
Feedback that maintains the equilibrium of an ecosystem.
Net Productivity
The gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time remaining after allowing for respiratory losses (R). Other metabolic losses may take place, but these may be ignored when calculating and defining net productivity.
Niche
The place or function of an organism within its ecosystem
Open System
A system wherein matter and energy are exchanged
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants manufacture food. Light energy is used to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugar and oxygen.
Population
The number of individuals of a species in a certain geographic area
Positive Feedback
Feedback that continues accelerating change in an ecosystem.
Primary Productivity
The gain by producers in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time. Could refer to either gross or net primary productivity.
Primary Succession
Succession in an environment devoid of vegetation and lacking soil e.g. a lava flow
Producers
First trophic level; anything that photosynthesizes
Pyramid of Biomass
A pyramid that indicates the biomass per area of an environment at each trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers
A pyramid that indicates the number per an area of individuals at each trophic level
Pyramid of Productivity
A pyramid that indicates the energy produced per area per time at each trophic level
R-Strategist
Species that tend to spread their reproductive investment among a large number of offspring so that they are well adapted to colonize new habitats rapidly and make opportunistic use of short-lived resources.
Second Law of Thermodynamics
The second law of thermodynamics states that energy moves from from more organized to less organized forms and becomes less useful.
Secondary Productivity
The biomass gained by heterotrophic organisms, through feeding and absorption, measured in units of mass or energy per unit area per unit time.
Secondary Succession
Succession in an environment with some vegetation and soil
Simpson’s Diversity Index
A measure of biodiversity that accounts for the number of species and the abundance of each species
Species
The largest possible group of organisms capable of interbreeding
Species Diversity
The number of different species present in an ecosystem
Static Equilibrium
A state of balance because of no change.
Steady State Equilibrium
A state of balance with constantly fluctuating change (i.e. population of rabbits)
Storage
Energy is kept in one place in an ecosystem; indicated with boxes
Succession
The observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time
Top Carnivores
The animal at the highest possible trophic level
Transfer
A transfer of energy from one organism to the other.
Transformation
A change in the form of energy (i.e. from light to chemical, chemical to heat)
Trophic Level
Producer, Primary Consumer, Secondary Consumer, Tertiary Consumer, etc.
