Unit I Vocab

Question 1

The _______________ of energy transfer states that each level in an ecosystem only gives 10% of its energy to the levels above it. This law explains much of the structural dynamics of ecosystems including why there are more organisms at the bottom of the ecosystem pyramid compared to the top.

Answer 1

10% Rule

Question 2

Not associated with or derived from living organisms. ___________ factors in an environment include sunlight, temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation.

Answer 2

Abiotic

Question 3

____________ is a colorless highly irritating gas with a sharp suffocating odor. It dissolves easily in water to form ammonium hydroxide solution which can cause irritation and burns.

Answer 3

Ammonia

Question 4

A _____________ cycle, or more generally a cycle of matter, is the movement and transformation of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth’s crust.

Answer 4

Biogeochemical

Question 5

A ________ is an area classified according to the species that live in that location.

Answer 5

Biome

Question 6

Consisting of living organisms. An ecosystem is made up of a _______ community (all of the naturally occurring organisms within the system) together with the physical environment. Associated with or derived from living organisms.

Answer 6

Biotic

Question 7

A chemical process in which oxygen is used to make energy from carbohydrates (sugars). Also called aerobic metabolism, aerobic respiration, and oxidative metabolism.

Answer 7

Cellular Respiration

Question 8

An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Answer 8

Commensalism

Question 9

A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Answer 9

Community

Question 10

_____________ is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one’s gain is the other’s loss.

Answer 10

Competition

Question 11

___________________ or rot is the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars and mineral salts.

Answer 11

Decomposition

Question 12

______________ is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment.

Answer 12

Ecology

Question 13

An ___________ is a system that environments and their organisms form through their interaction. The biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.

Answer 13

Ecosystem

Question 14

A _____________ is a linear network of links in a food web, often starting with an autotroph, also called a producer, and typically ending at an apex predator, detritivore, or decomposer. It is not the same as a food web.

Answer 14

Food Chain

Question 15

A __________ is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation of what eats what in an ecological community.

Answer 15

Food Web

Question 16

The total amount of carbon compounds produced by photosynthesis of plants in an ecosystem in a given period of time.

Answer 16

GPP

Question 17

_____________ is the water present beneath Earth’s surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations.

Answer 17

Groundwater

Question 18

The water cycle, is a biogeochemical cycle that involves the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time.

Answer 18

Hydrologic Cycle

Question 19

The _______________________ are a set of scientific laws which define a group of physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, that characterize thermodynamic systems in thermodynamic equilibrium.

Answer 19

Laws of Thermodynamics

Question 20

Association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits.

Answer 20

Mutualism

Question 21

the chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated into organic compounds, especially by certain microorganisms as part of the nitrogen cycle.

Answer 21

Nitrogen Fixation

Question 22

The rate at which all the autotrophs in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy.

Answer 22

NPP

Question 23

A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.

Answer 23

Nutrient

Question 24

____________ is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life.

Answer 24

Parasitism

Question 25

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Answer 25

Photosynthesis

Question 26

All the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.

Answer 26

Population

Question 27

________________, in ecology, the rate at which energy is converted to organic substances by photosynthetic producers (photoautotrophs), which obtain energy and nutrients by harnessing sunlight, and chemosynthetic producers (chemoautotrophs), which obtain chemical energy through oxidation.

Answer 27

Primary Productivity

Question 28

An organism that creates its own food or energy.

Answer 28

Producer

Question 29

A place or cavity for storage, for anatomical structures serving as a storage space for fluids.

Answer 29

Reservoir

Question 30

_________________ refers to the division of resources to avoid interspecific competition for limited resources in an ecosystem. It is an evolutionary adaptation that helps various species coexist in an ecological community.

Answer 30

Resource Partitioning

Question 31

________ is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water. It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg.

Answer 31

Salinity

Question 32

Any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

Answer 32

Sink

Question 33

The place where a river begins.

Answer 33

Source

Question 34

________ is defined as a close, prolonged association between two or more different biological species. This relationship can be symbiotic (mutualistic), where both parties involved benefit from the interaction, or it can be parasitic, where one party benefits while the other is harmed.

Answer 34

Symbiosis

Question 35

Each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

Answer 35

Tropic Level

Question 36

The quality of being cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter.

Answer 36

Turbidity

Question 37

The transfer of substances from the environment to plants, animals, and humans.

Answer 37

Uptake