unit 1 Flashcards
types of interactions
- competition
- predation
- mutualism
- commensalism
biome
plants and animals that are found in a particular region of the world
habitat
area where a particular species lives in nature
tundra
cold and treeless biome with low growing vegetation
permafrost
impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil
taiga (boreal forest)
a forest biome made up primarily of coniferous trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons
temperate rainforest
coastal biome typified by moderate temp and high precipitation
temperate seasonal forest
warm summers and cold winters
shrub (wood) land
hot dry summers and mild rainy winters
temperate grassland (cold dessert)
cold, harsh winters and hot dry summers
tropical rainforest
warm wet biome 20 N and 20 S of equator with little seasonal temp variation and high precipitation
savanna
warm temp and distinct wet and dry seasons
littoral zone
shallow zone of sail and water in lakes and ponds near the shore where most algae and emergent plants such as cattails grow
limnetic zone
zone in open water in lakes and ponds as deep as sunlight can penetrate
phytoplankton
floating algae
profundal zone
region of water where sunlight does not reach, below limnetic zone in very deep lakes
benthis zone
muddy bottom of lake pond or ocean
oligotrophic
a lake with low level of phytoplankton due to low nutrient levels in water
mesotrophic
a lake with moderate level of fertility
eutrophic
a lake with high fertility levels
freshwater wetland
submerged or saturated with water for at least part of year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
(FRQ - often ask for solutions to water issues, restoring wetlands is a good solution because they reduce flooding by providing a place for water infiltration)
intertidal zone
narrow band of coastline that exists between high tide and low tide
biogeochemical cycle
movement of matter within and between ecosystems involving cycles of biological, geological, and chemical processes
7 processes of carbon cycle
- photosynthesis
- respiration
- exchange
- sedimentation
- burial
- extraction
- combustion
aerobic respiration
process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, CO2, and water
steady state
when a system’s inputs = outputs
biotic processes
respiration and decomposition
abiotic process
combustion
nitrogen cycle 5 transformations
- nitrogen fixation
- nitrification
- assimilation
- mineralization
- denitrication
nitrogen fixation
converts nitrogen gas in atmosphere into forms of nitrogen plants and algae can use (ammonium)
nitrification
conversion of ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate
assimilation
process by which plants and algae incorporate nitrogen into their tissues
mineralization
fungal and bacterial decomposers break down organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert these organic compounds back into inorganic compounds (ammonification)
denitrification
conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide and eventually nitrogen gas
leaching
dissolved molecules are transported through soil via groundwater
cellular respiration
glucose + oxygen => carbon dioxide + water
photosynthesis
carbon dioxide + water => glucose + oxygen
processes that drive phosphorus cycle
- assimilation
- mineralization
- sedimentation
- geologic uplift
- weathering
dead zone
oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals
primary productivity
the rate of converting solar energy into organic compounds over a period of time
gross primary productivity (GPP)
total amount of solar energy producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a period of time
net primary productivity (NPP)
the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire (NPP = GPP - R)
trophic levels
the successive levels of organisms consuming one another
scavenger
an organism that consumes dead animals
detritivore
an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles
ecological efficiency
proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic levels to another
1st law of thermodynamics
energy is never created nor destroyed
2nd law of thermodynamics
each time energy is transferred, some of it is lost as heat (applied to food webs)
10% rule
in trophic pyramids, only about 10% of energy makes it to the next level, 90% used by organism + lost by heat
