Unit 1 Flashcards
PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls used in electronics. Chemical products banned in 1979. Polluted groundwater.
Quantitative data
data that uses numbers
Qualitative data
data that uses qualities and characteristics
Experimental design
set up of an experiment
Control
constant variable and unchanged throughout the course of the investigation
Easter Island
an island owned by Chile where people died because of lack of natural resources
Ecology
study of living organisms in their nonliving habitat
Biotic factor
living item
Abiotic factor
not living item
Ecological Hierarchy
species -> population -> community -> ecosystem -> biome -> biosphere
Population
a group of individuals of the same species
Community
a group of populations interacting together
Ecosystem
a group of communities interacting together
Biosphere
another name for earth
Natural Selection
survival of the fittest
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
where Potomac River dumps into Atlantic Ocean. Extremely polluted with sediments and nutrients.
Salinity
level of salt in the water
Brackish
medium levels of salinity. Often occurs in wetlands where salt and fresh water mix.
Potential Energy
The energy stored. PE = mgh
Kinetic Energy
The energy in movement. KE = 1/2 mv^2
1st Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is neither created nor destroyed
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
No reaction is 100% efficient. Entropy is created after every energy transformation and will increase over time.
Entropy
Disorder and chaos in a system
Gaia hypothesis
organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet
Ecological footprint
a measure of human impact on Earth’s ecosystems. It’s typically measured in area of wilderness or amount of natural capital consumed each year.
Carrion
the decaying flesh of dead animals
Phototrophs
organisms that use light to perform photosynthesis. Often plants and phytoplankton.
Chemotrophs
organisms that use chemicals to perform chemosynthesis. Often bacteria in deep sea vents.
Heterotrophs
organisms that consume to obtain energy. Often herbivores and carnivores.
Primary Consumer
first level heterotroph, eat primary producers
Secondary Consumer
organism that eats primary consumer
Tertiary Consumer
organism that eats secondary consumer
Saprotrophs
organism that eats dead organic materials (fungi and bacteria)
Food Chain
a series of who eats whom with one pp, one pc, one sc, one tc
Food Web
a diagram of who eats whom for all organisms
Gross Primary Productivity
the rate of photosynthesis taking place in an area
Net Primary Productivity
The biomass left over in a phototroph after photosynthesis and respiration takes place.
Nitrogen Fixation
Taking nitrogen in air (N2) and changing to nitrite (NO2) or ammonia (NH3)
Nitrification
Take nitrite and turning it into nitrate NO
Assimilation
Organisms use nitrate and ammonium to make DNA and amino acids
Ammonification
Taking NH3 and turning it into NH4.
Denitrification
Taking nitrate and ammonium and turning it back into nitrogen (N2) in the air.
Sink
a storage place of an element
Source
a process that releases an element
Primary Succession
community change that occurs with new land formation: lichen -> moss -> small shrubs -> small trees -> large trees -> climax community
Secondary Succession
community change that occurs with land already formed
Bottleneck Effect
cut down of genetic diversity due to loss of individuals in a population.
Non-native species
a species that is not known historically in an area. Ex: cane toads in Australia
Species diversity
a count of how many species are in an area
Ecotone
a transitional zone between two communities. Ex: intertidal zone.
Niche
an organism’s job in a community
Hybrid
the offspring of two different species
Lichen
a symbiotic relationship of a fungus and an algae
Germination
sprouting of a seed
Mutualism
a symbiosis where two species benefit from the relationship. Ex: oxpecker and rhino
Commensalism
a symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is neutral in the relationship. Ex: cattle egret and cow
Competitive Exclusion Principle
species with the same niche in the same area cannot coexist
Keystone Species
often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity. Ex: sea otter
Predation
the preying of one animal on others
Mimicry
the close external resemblance of an animal or plant (or part of one) to another animal, plant, or inanimate object
Interspecific Competition
competition between two different species
Intraspecific Competition
Competition between the same species
Aerobic
Using oxygen
Anaerobic
Using no oxygen
Parasitism
a symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is harmed in the relationship. Ex: tapeworm and human
