Chapter 3: The Biosphere Flashcards
What is Ecology?
study of the way living things interact with each other and their environment
What do interactions involve?
energy and matter
What are the two needed things for a prosperous environment
water and temperature
What is a web of interdependence
complex and fragile web between organisms and their environment
Where does most energy come from?
sun
Where does little energy come from?
ocean vents
What are the five element recycled and necessary for life?
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus
What are trophic levels?
energy levels within an ecosystem
Only 10% of energy passes on to the next trophic level
What are Biogeochemical Cycles?
biological, geological, and chemical cycles were the five elements of life (CHONP) are replenished in ecosystems
What does the water cycle replenish?
hydrogen
What does the carbon cycle replenish?
carbon (plants absorb to make sugar and release to break down sugars)
What does the nitrogen cycle replenish?
nitrogen (no nitrogen, no protein) nitrification is done by bacteria fixing nitrogen gas into solids. (ammonia to nitrites to nitrates)
What does the phosphorus cycles replenish?
phosphorus (no phosphorus, no DNA)
What are the three types of community interactions?
competition for resources, predation, and symbiosis
What are the three types of symbiosis?
mutualism, communalism, and parasitism
