Unit 1: Living World - Ecosystems Flashcards
biotic
living(plants, animals)
abiotic
non-living(air, rocks, soil)
parasitic relationship
one organism (the parasite) will live inside of another organism (the host), and it relies on that organism to survive
who benefits and who is harmed in a parasitic relationship
Parasite benefits - Host harmed
what’s an example of a parasite
pathogen - type of parasite that causes diseases
predator-prey relationship
one animal will kill and consume another
who benefits and who is harmed in a predator-prey relationship
Predator benefits - Prey harmed
symbiotic relationship
both organisms are helped or not affected
mutualistic relationship
BOTH organisms BENEFIT
example of mutualism
bees pollinating flowers
commensalism
ONE organism BENEFITS
example of commensalism
bird nesting in a tree
competition
when organisms each share a limiting resource
what happens when two species each compete for the same limiting resource
they can NOT coexist
what allows two species who compete for the same limiting resource TO COEXIST
resource partitioning - when they divide up the resource based on their behavior or morphology
ecosystem engineer
special types of keystone species that create or maintain habitats for other species
keystone species
A species that plays a far more important role in its community than its relative abundance might suggest
terrestrial biome
Geographical regions that each have a particular combinations of average annual temperature and precipitation and contain distinctive plant growth forms that are adapted to that climate
Aquatic biome
Particular combinations of salinity, depth, and water flow
what are the two most important factors that determine biome distinction on land
- temperature
- precipitation
(Latitude and Altitude)
What are the two types aquatic biomes
Marine(salt) and Freshwater
What are the most productive aquatic biomes
(wetlands):marshes and swamps, estuaries and coral reefs
where is nitrogen and phosphorus greater in marine ecosystems
along the coastline due to runoff into rivers then to estuaries
in what type of water is secondary productivity high
cold water(because there is an increase of dissolved oxygen)
Which carbon sink holds carbon compounds for the shortest period of time?
vegetation
what makes the phosphorous cycle different from the others
there is no atmosphere component in the phosphorous cycle
Which of the following best describes the flow of energy in most terrestrial and near-surface marine ecosystems?
Producers use energy from the sun to make organic matter, such as sugars, from carbon dioxide and water and are then consumed by organisms higher in the food chain.
what percent of the net primary productivity is available for the next level
10% of calories
what are the levels of the trophic pyramid
primary producer –> primary consumer –> secondary consumer –> tertiary consumer
Littoral zone
The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow
Limnetic zone
a zone of open water in lakes and ponds
Phytoplankton
floating algae
Profundal zone
a region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic Zone in very deep Lakes
Benthic zone
the Muddy Bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean
Oligotrophic
describes a lake with a low level of productivity
Mesotrophic
describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity
Eutrophic
describes a lake with a high level of productivity
Freshwater wetlands
an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
Salt marsh
a marsh containing non Woody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates
Mangrove swamp
a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coast, and contains salt tolerant trees with roots submerged in water
Intertidal zone
the narrow band of Coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide
Coral reef
the most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow Waters beyond the shoreline
Photic zone
the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis
Aphotic zone
the deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis
Chemosynthesis
a process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide
Nitrogen fixation
A process by which some organisms can convert nitrogen gas molecules directly into ammonia
Nitrification
The conversion of ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate
Assimilation
The process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues
Mineralization
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds
Ammonification
The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium
Denitrification
The conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide and eventually, nitrogen gas which is emitted into the atmosphere
Leaching
The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater
hypoxic
low in oxygen
Transpiration
The release of water from leaves during photosynthesis
Evapotranspiration
The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration
Runoff
Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers
Macronutrient
One of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts; nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur
Limiting nutrient
A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients
Detritivore
an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles
Decomposers
fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem
Gross primary productivity (GPP)
the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
Net primary productivity (NPP)
the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
Biomass
the total mass of all living matter in a specific area
Standing crop
the amount of biomass is present in an ecosystem at a particular time
Human impact on the carbon cycle
- extracting fossil fuels faster than the rate that carbon is back into the ground through sedimentation —-> putting way more carbon in the atmosphere than we are supposed to —-> climate change
- DEFORESTATION – no plants to take carbon out of the air
Human impact on the nitrogen cycle
FERTILIZER - putting more nitrogen into the cycle than plants are used to(nitrogen=limiting nutrient so plants were held back but now they can dominate others)
similarities and differences between nitrogen and phosphorous cycle
differences: phosphorous only cycles between land and water, doesn’t change forms
both are limiting macronutrients
Human impact on the phosphorous cycle
FERTILIZER - putting more phosphorous into the cycle – runoff into ocean makes algae blooms – blocks sunlight – existing plants die and eat all the oxygen– aquatic dead zones
