Chapter 56 Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are abiotic components in an ecosystem?
non-living components; ex. water, temp, sunlight
What are biotic components in an ecosystem?
living components of an ecosystem; ex. plants, animals, bacteria
What are the 3 biogeochemical cycles?
Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle
What is the carbon cycle?
The process of moving carbon between Earth’s atmosphere, ocean, land and living organisms
What is carbon fixation?
reactions that make nongaseous compounds from gaseous ones; CO2 to organic componds
Water can be synthesized during __________ in the water cycle.
cellular respiration
Water can be broken down during _________ in the water cycle.
Photosynthesis
What are aquifers?
permeable, underground layers of rock, sand, and gravel saturated with water that have a upper and lower layer; lower layer can be tapped by wells
What element is usually a limiting nutrient?
Nitrogen
What is nitrogen fixation?
synthesis of nitrogen containing compounds from N2 gas
What is Nitrification?
going form N2 to NH3 to NO3-
What is denitrification?
going from NO3- to N2
What is the phosphorus cycle?
the process where phosphorus moves through the environment, primarily from rocks to soil, then into plants and animals, and eventually back into the soil through decomposition
What is a limiting nutrient?
a weak link or nutrient that is in short supply in a ecosystem that limits the growth of one or more organism
What is an autotroph?
A primary producer or organism that makes it’s own food
What are chemoautotrophs?
Autotrophs that use the oxidation of inorganic compounds for energy
What are heterotrophs?
consumers or organisms that get food from plants or animals
What are scavengers?
organisms that feed on decaying organisms
What are detritivores?
decomposers that break down dead plants and animals
What are tropic levels?
the position of an organism in a food web or step in a food chain
What is more accurate a food web or chain?
food web because it shows more interactions
energy ______ as it passes down the food chain.
decreases
Energy from the sun is lost as ______ when going to ecosystems.
heat
What is trophic cascade?
When a effect moves up or down a ecological pyramid; when a upper level influences two or more levels below
