Unit 1 Flashcards
90% of energy is lost when going through energy transfers. Only 10% transfers
- feces, urine and used in respiration and lost as heat is where the remaining 90% goes.
10% Rule
non-living
Ex: sunlight, water, wind, soil
Abiotic
It dissolves in water to give a strongly alkaline solution; an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH₃
Ammonia
The elements and compounds that make up nutrients move continually through the air, water, soil, rock, and living organisms in ecosystems and in the biosphere in cycles
Biogeochemical Cycle
The most important factors that determine a biome are temperature and precipitation.
Biome
Living/once-living
Ex: tree, rabbit, bacteria, worm
Biotic
The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water; organisms use oxygen to break down food molecules to get chemical energy for cell functions
Cellular Respiration
a symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is neutral in the relationship; Ex: shark and remora
Commensalism
Many individuals of different species
Community
Two or more animals competing for the same resources
Competition
organic material breaks down which returns organic carbon to the soil.
Decomposition
The study of the connection in nature between biotic and abiotic components
Ecology
Both the biotic and abiotic components in a habitat
Ecosystem
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
all the food chains in a single ecosystem
Food Web
gross primary productivity; TOTAL amount of production of biomass
GPP
precipitation infiltrates the ground and is stored in soil and rock
Groundwater
energy can’t be created or destroyed; can be changed from one form to another
First Law of Thermodynamics
increase of entropy; energy quality decreases; when energy changes form it always degrades to a more dispersed form. when energy is transferred or transformed, more energy is wasted
Second Law of Thermodynamics
a symbiosis where two species benefit from the relationship; Ex: fungus and algae
Mutualism
taking nitrogen in air and changing it to nitrite or ammonia
Nitrogen Fixation
net primary productivity; rate of production of biomass potentially available to consumers (herbivores)
NPP = GPP - R
NPP
A chemical compound (such as protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin, or mineral) contained in foods. These compounds are used by the body to function and grow.
Nutrient
a symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is harmed in the relationship; Ex: dog and flea
Parasitism
The biological process in which light energy from the sun is captured and transformed into the chemical energy of carbohydrate molecules. Converts carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen
Photosynthesis
Many individuals of the same species
Population
rate at which autotrophs synthesize new biomass
- it is answering: how fast producers are photosynthesizing and how much glucose is being produced
Factors that affect it:
1. solar radiation
2. temperature (warmer = higher productivity but can denature enzymes), high productivity in cold ocean waters due to upwelling of nutrients
3. CO2
4. H2O
5. nutrients - any food, chemical element or compound required by an organism to live, grow and reproduce
6. herbivory - grazing by herbivores can lower productivity
Most productive ecosystems have high temperatures, lots of water, light and nutrients
Ex: most productive = swamps and marshes, tropical rainforest, estuaries; least productive = extreme desert, tundra, open ocean
formula: NPP = GPP-R
Primary Productivity
The water body created by a damming a river or stream.
Reservoir
species avoid competition by dividing the use of resources; occurs more in the tropical rainforests than the desert because there are more resources and species in the rainforest which means more opportunities to divide resources among the species.
Resource Partitioning
amount of various salts dissolved in a given amount of water.
Salinity
a storage place of an element
Sink
a process that releases an element
Source
Any intimate relationship or association between members of two or more species; includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
Symbiosis
An organism’s position in a food web. It is based on food and or feeding
Trophic Level
Muddiness created by stirring up sediment or having foreign particles suspended
Turbidity
an act or instance of absorbing or incorporating something especially into a living organism, tissue, or cell In muscle and adipose tissue, insulin stimulates the uptake, storage, and use of glucose.
Uptake
One living being
Organism
All portions of earth where life exists
Biosphere
a species’ role in its environment;
fundamental niche: possible niche
realized niche: ACTUAL niche with competition
niche
if competition is present, species will be excluded from niches they might otherwise be able to inhabit
Competition Exclusion Principle
Location: equator
Biomes of the World: Brazil, S and C America, C Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia
Biota: broadleaf trees, ferns, vines, flowers, primates, cats, snakes, birds, and insects
Climate: hot/wet
Relative Productivity: very high
Harmful Human Activity: mining, logging, ranching, agriculture, oil/gas extraction
Tropical Rainforest
Location: coastal, mid-lats
Biomes of the World: Appalachian areas, Chile, S Australia, S Africa
Biota: redwoods, ferns, mosses, raccoon, crow, black bear, wolf, deer
Climate: warm/wet
Relative Productivity: medium/high
Harmful Human Activity: farming, mining, hunting, logging, urbanization
Temperate Rainforest
Location: eastern sides of
continents, 30-40 degrees
Biomes of the World: E coast of US, W Eurasia, NE Asia
Biota: deciduous trees, shrubs, flowers, deer, squirrels, songbirds
Climate: warm/moderate
Relative Productivity: high
Harmful Human Activity: farming, mining, hunting, logging, urbanization
Temperate Seasonal Forest
Location: 50-60 degrees N
Biomes of the World: subarctic regions, Canada, Russia
Biota: perennials, conifer (needle) trees, wolves, moose, beavers
Climate: cold/wet
Relative Productivity: medium
Harmful Human Activity: deforestation, logging, and clear-cutting
Taiga/Boreal Forest
Location: 30 degrees N and S
Biomes of the World: N Africa, W Asia, C Australia, S US
Biota: cacti, other succulents, insects, scorpions, reptiles
Climate: hot/dry
Relative Productivity: lowest
Harmful Human Activity: firewood gathering and grazing of animals, desertification
Desert
Location: transition from desert to forest
Biomes of the World: Africa, S America, E Australia, India
Biota: grasses, scattered trees, hoofed animals
Climate: warm, wet/dry seasons
Relative Productivity: medium
Harmful Human Activity: logging, development, conversion to agriculture, overgrazing by livestock
Savanna
Location: Argentina, California, Mediterranean (coastal)
Biomes of the World: W coast US, S Europe
Biota: small shrubs, reptiles, deer, rabbits, squirrels
Climate: hot/dry summers, mild/rainy winters
Relative Productivity: low
Harmful Human Activity: alterations caused by buildings and roads = irreversible; development
Shrubland/Chaparral
Location: 30-40 degrees N; mid-continents
Biomes of the World: C US, lowlands of Canada, Mongolia, C Russia
Biota: grasses, scattered trees, hoofed animals
Climate: warm/moderate
Relative Productivity: medium
Harmful Human Activity: unsustainable agriculture practices, overgrazing, and crop clearing
Temperate Grassland/Prairie
Location: N of 60 degrees
Biomes of the World: N Russia, N Canada, Alaska
Biota: lichens, mosses, short grasses, ox, caribou, shorebirds
Climate: cold/dry
Relative Productivity: low
Harmful Human Activity: oil, gas, mining industries, drilling wells
Tundra
Salinity/Flow: zero/fast
Biota: very small fish, pollution-intolerant macroinvertebrate, indicator species
Depth Zones: N/A
Relative Productivity: high
Harmful Human Activity: agriculture, deforestation, construction
Streams
Salinity/Flow: zero/medium
Biota: trout, salmon (high O2), catfish (low O2)
Depth Zones: fast = high O2; slower = low O2
Relative Productivity: medium
Harmful Human Activity: littering, waste from livestock, pet waste
Rivers
Salinity/Flow: zero/still
Biota: variable freshwater fish and plants, turtles, frogs, algae
Depth Zones: littoral = shallow, emergent plants; limnetic = open water; benthic = bottom; profundal = below limnetic, no light
Relative Productivity: low = oligotrophic; high = eutrophic
Harmful Human Activity: construction of hydroelectric dams or irrigation projects
Ponds/FW Lakes (salt lakes are rare)
Salinity/Flow: zero to very low/still
Biota: baby fish, birds, insects, emergent plants and trees
Depth Zones: N/A
Relative Productivity: very high; filtration, flood/erosion, prevention/nurseries
Harmful Human Activity: drilling, mining, dredging or aggregates, destructive anchoring, removal of corals, and land “reclamation”
Wetland (swamp, marsh, bog)
Salinity/Flow: 35 ppt/currents and gyres (variable)
Biota: phytoplankton, large fish, mammals
Depth Zones: photic (light), aphotic (no light), benthic (seafloor)
Relative Productivity: low
Harmful Human Activity: filling, grading, removal of vegetation, building construction, changes in water levels, drainage patterns
Open Ocean
Salinity/Flow: brackish water (between 0.5-35 ppt)
Biota: mangrove trees, seagrasses, mollusks, crustaceans, baby fish, birds
Depth Zones: N/A
Relative Productivity: very high; nurseries, filtration, erosion control
Harmful Human Activity: excess nutrients - eutrophication; pollution from factories
Salt Marsh/Estuary
Salinity/Flow: 35 ppt - current and wave action
Biomes of the World: Indo - W Pacific Ocean, W and E Atlantic Ocean, E Pacific Ocean
Biota: highest biodiversity in the ocean; 1 million species of inverts, fish, reptiles, and birds; corals = mutualistic relationship with zooxanthellae algae
Depth Zones: commonly in more oligotrophic waters (nutrient-poor) because zooxanthellae are photosynthesizing to produce food
Relative Productivity: very high
Harmful Human Activity: pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices, mining, warming climate
Coral Reef
Processes/Flows: photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition/decay, fossil fuel combustion
Stocks/Storages Reservoirs: short turnover time = biota, atmosphere, surface ocean; long turnover time = sediments, rocks, deep ocean (largest)
Human Impacts: burning fossil fuels, changing land use, using limestone to make concrete
- For life to continue, carbon must be recycled
- in the abiotic environment: in the atmosphere, dissolved in water, in rocks, deposits of coal, petroleum, and natural gas from fossilized organisms, dead organic matter
- enters the biotic world through photosynthesis and chemosynthesis
- returns to the atmosphere and water by cellular respiration, burning, decay
Carbon Cycle
Processes/Flows: fixation - ammonia; nitrification - nitrates and nitrites; assimilation - proteins; ammonification - ammonia; denitrification - nitrogen gas
Stocks/Storages Reservoirs: atmosphere (largest), soil, groundwater, biota (dead and living), ocean water, sediments/rocks
Human Impacts: burning fossil fuels, nitrogen-based fertilizers
Nitrogen Cycle
Processes/Flows: leaching, mining, weathering, runoff, geological uplift, decomposition, organism assimilation
Stocks/Storages Reservoirs: biota (dead or living), marine sediments, rocks (largest), ocean, freshwater
Human Impacts: cutting down forests, the release of mined phosphates
Phosphorus Cycle
Processes/Flows: volcanic eruption, plant uptake, erosion, leaching, consumption
Stocks/Storages Reservoirs: biota, rocks (largest), atmosphere, water
Human Impacts: burning fossil fuels, acid rain
Sulfur Cycle
- vital for all life
- moderates climate
- sculpts land
- removes and dilutes waste and pollutants
- moves continually through the hydrologic cycle
Transfer Processes: infiltration, runoff, plant uptake, transpiration, seepage, precipitation, consumption, percolation
Transformation Processes: snowmelt, evaporation, sublimation, freezing, condensation, fog drip
Stocks/Storages/Reservoirs: ocean (largest), lakes, rivers, snow, clouds, atmosphere, biota, groundwater
Climate Change Effects: precipitation, drought, flooding, sea level rise, loss of ice habitats/freshwater sources (glaciers), groundwater depletion
Human Effects: pollution, chemical, toxic metals, endocrine disruptors, eutrophication (excess nutrients), thermal pollution
Hydrologic Cycle
TOTAL Global Water: oceans = 96.5%; saline lakes = 0.07%; saline groundwater = 0.93%; freshwater = 2.5%
Freshwater: glaciers and icecaps = 68.6%; groundwater = 30.1%; surface water and other freshwater = 1.3%
Surface Water and Other Freshwater: ice and snow = 73.1%; lakes = 20.1%; soil moisture = 3.52%; swamps and marshes = 2.5%; rivers = 0.46%; biological water = 0.22%; atmospheric water = 0.22%
- only 0.02% of the earth’s water supply is available to us as liquid freshwater
Available Water in the Earth
water that does not sink into the ground or evaporate into the air runs off into bodies of water
surface runoff
the land area that delivers runoff, sediment, and any dissolved substances to a stream
watershed (drainage basin)
underground caverns and porous layers of sand, gravel, or bedrock through which groundwater flows
aquifer
has a permeable water table
unconfined aquifer
bounded above and below by less permeable beds of rock where the water is confined under pressure
confined aquifer
pressure from the confined aquifer pushes water up at a location without a pump
artesian well
the level below which the ground is saturated with water
water table
for any closed system, the mass must remain constant over time; we’re not “consuming” resources, we’re just borrowing them and transforming them
law of conservation of mass
organisms that can produce their own energy through photosynthesis (99%) or chemosynthesis (<1%; deep-sea vents)
producers/autotrophs
organisms that can only obtain energy by eating other organisms
consumer/heterotroph
the second level in a food chain; only eats producers
primary consumer
the third level in a food chain
secondary consumer
may eat plants or animals
omnivore
only eats animals; must be at least a secondary consumer
carnivore
only eats animals that it has killed
predator
breaks down organic matter to inorganic compounds; only bacteria and fungi belong to this group
decomposer
these organisms break down dead organisms and feces to smaller organic molecules; includes earthworms, seastars, pillbugs, flies, etc.
detrivore
graphical models of the quantitative differences between trophic levels of a single ecosystem
1. energy pyramid (trophic pyramids)
2. biomass pyramid
3. pyramid of numbers
ecological pyramids
ratio of net production at one level to that of the next
conversion efficiency
total mass of organisms
biomass
medium levels of salinity; often occurs in wetlands where salt and freshwater mix
brackish
take nitrite and turn it into nitrate
nitrification
organisms use nitrate and ammonium to make DNA and amino acids
assimilation
taking NH3 and turning it into NH4+
ammonification
taking nitrate and ammonium and turning it back into nitrogen
denitrification
competition between two different species
interspecific competition
competition between the same species
intraspecific competition
