Unit 1 Vocabulary

Question 1

living

Answer 1

Biotic

Question 2

nonliving

Answer 2

Abiotic

Question 3

living on earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources

Answer 3

Sustainability

Question 4

the diversity of life forms in an environment

Answer 4

biodiversity

Question 5

derived from human activities

Answer 5

anthropogenic

Question 6

a geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land

Answer 6

biome

Question 7

the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Answer 7

photic zone

Question 8

the deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

Answer 8

aphotic zone

Question 9

a region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes

Answer 9

profundal zone

Question 10

a zone of open water in lakes and ponds

Answer 10

limnetic zone

Question 11

the muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean

Answer 11

benthic zone

Question 12

the shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow

Answer 12

littoral zone

Question 13

a particular location on earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Answer 13

ecosystem

Question 14

the process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues

Answer 14

assimilation

Question 15

the release of water from leaves during photosynthesis

Answer 15

transpiration

Question 16

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

Answer 16

ammonification

Question 17

the conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide and, eventually, nitrogen gas, which is emitted in the atmosphere

Answer 17

denitrification

Question 18

the conversion of ammonia into nitrate (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)

Answer 18

nitrification

Question 19

a phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients

Answer 19

eutrophication

Question 20

the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Answer 20

gross primary productivity

Question 21

the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Answer 21

net primary productivity

Question 22

an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles

Answer 22

detritivores

Question 23

individuals incapable of photosynthesis; must obtain energy by consuming other organisms

Answer 23

primary consumer

Question 24

fungi or bacteria that convert organic material into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

Answer 24

decomposers

Question 25

the total mass of all living matter in a specific area

Answer 25

biomass