unit 1 Flashcards
1st law of thermodynamics
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred
2nd law of thermodynamics
Energy’s capability to do work decreases as it gets transferred. All systems move to chaos instead of order
Entropy
chaos
Energy efficiency
The ratio of energy made vs taken in
Energy quality
Energy concentration in an object, how easily energy can be used in an object
System analysis
determining inputs, outputs, and overall changes in systems
Closed system
Exchanging within boundaries. Matter
Open system
exchanging through boundaries. Energy
Steady state
inputs = outputs
Photosynthesis
converting carbon dioxide and water into sugar (energy) and oxygen
Cellular respiration
a process where cells unlock the energy in chemical compounds
aerobic respiration
converting glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide and energy
anaerobic respiration
converting glucose into carbon dioxide and energy
Producers/autotrophs
organisms that photosynthesize (plants)
Consumers/heterotrophs
organisms that consume others for energy
Primary consumers/herbivores
animals that eat plants
Secondary consumers
animals that eat primary consumers/herbivoers
Tertiary consumers
animals that eat other animals
Omnivores
eat producers and consumers
Carnivores
eat consumers
Scavengers
animals like falcons, hawks, and hyenas that eat carcasses
Detritovores
recycle matter by eating dead stuff and pooping it out
Decomposers
eat dead matter and break it down into elements
GPP
the total amount of energy captured from photosynthesis
NPP
the total amount of energy after capturing it from the sun and respiring it
10 percent rule
Only 10% of biomass can be converted into energy. The rest is released as heat
Biomass
the total amount of living matter in an area
Standing crop
the total amount of biomass at a particular time
Pathogens
an organism that lives in an another organism and causes disease
Parasitoids
organisms that lay their eggs in another organism and kill it
Keystone species
a species that is not abundant but has a large effect on the ecosystem
Ecosystem engineer
an organism that significantly modifies its ecosystem by creating or maintaining a habitat for another species
Temporal resource partitioning
animals use their food at different times to avoid competition
Spatial resource partitioning
animals use their food in different areas to avoid competition
Morphological resource partitioning
different evolutionary features causes organisms to use their food in different ways
