Chapther 1 Flashcards
(136 cards)
1
Q
Biosphere
A
the region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on earth
2
Q
Producer (autotroph)
A
an organism that uses the energy of the sun to produce usable forms of energy
3
Q
Photosynthesis
A
the process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose
4
Q
Cellular respiration
A
the process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
5
Q
Aerobic respiration
A
the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide and water
6
Q
Anaerobic respiration
A
the process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen
7
Q
Consumer (heterotroph)
A
an organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms
8
Q
Herbivore (primary consumer)
A
a consumer that eats producers
9
Q
Carnivore
A
consumers that eats other consumers
10
Q
Secondary consumer
A
a carnivore that eats primary consumers
11
Q
Tertiary consumer
A
a carnivore that eats secondary consumers
12
Q
Trophic levels
A
the successive levels of organisms consuming one another
13
Q
Food chain
A
the sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers
14
Q
Food web
A
a complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels
15
Q
Scavenger
A
an organism that consumes dead animals
16
Q
Detritivore
A
an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles
17
Q
Decomposers
A
fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem
18
Q
Gross primary productivity (GPP)
A
the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
19
Q
Net primary productivity (NPP)
A
the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire
20
Q
Biomass
A
the total mass of all living matter in a specific area
21
Q
Standing crop
A
the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time
22
Q
Ecological efficiency
A
the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
23
Q
Trophic pyramid
A
a representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels
24
Q
Biogeochemical cycle
A
the movements of matter within and between ecosystems
25
Hydrologic cycle
the movement of water through the biosphere
26
Transpiration
the release of water from leaves during photosynthesis
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Evapotranspiration
the combined amount of evaporation and transpiration
28
Runoff
water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers
29
Carbon Cycle
the movement of carbon around the biosphere
30
Macronutrient
one of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts; N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S
31
Limiting nutrients
a nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients
32
Nitrogen Cycle
the movement of N around the biosphere
33
Nitrogen fixation
the process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of N that producers can use
34
Nitrification
the conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)
35
Assimilation
the process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues
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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 organic compounds
37
Ammonification
the process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic N found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4+)
38
Denitrification
the conversion of nitrate in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and eventually N gas (N2) which is emitted into the atmosphere
39
Leaching
the transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater
40
Phosphorus cycle
the movement of P around the biosphere
41
Algal bloom
a rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway
42
Hypoxic
low oxygen
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Dead zone
when oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic life
44
Sulfur cycle
the movement of sulfur in the biosphere
45
Disturbance
an event, caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition
46
Resistance
a measure of how much a disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem
47
Resilience
the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance
48
Restoration ecology
the study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems
49
Watershed
all land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland
50
Troposphere
a layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth, extending approximately 16km (10 miles)
51
Stratosphere
the layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly 16-50km (10-31 miles) above the earth’s surface
52
Albedo
the percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface
53
Saturation point
the maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature
54
Adiabatic cooling
the cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands
55
Adiabatic heating
the heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of earth and decreases in volume
56
Latent heat release
the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water
57
Atmospheric convection current
global patterns of air movement that are initiated by the unequal heating of earth
58
Hadley cell
a convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S
59
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
the latitude that receives the most intense sunlight, which causes the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells to converge
60
Polar cell
a convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60°N and 60°S and sinks at the poles 90°N and 90°S
61
Ferrell cell
a convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells
62
Coriolis effect
the deflection of an object’s path due to the rotation of earth
63
Rain shadow
a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side
64
Gyre
a large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
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Upwelling
the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents
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Thermohaline circulation
an oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water
67
El Niño- Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
a reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific
68
Terrestrial biome
a geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land
69
Aquatic biome
an aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow.
70
Habitat
an area where a particular species lives in nature
71
Tundra
a cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation
72
Permafrost
an impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil
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Boreal forest
a forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons
74
Temperate rainforest
a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation
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Temperate seasonal forest
a biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1m (39in) of precipitation annually
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Woodland/shrubland
a biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters
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Temperate grassland/cold desert
a biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers
78
Tropical rainforest
a warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation
79
Tropical seasonal forest/savanna
a biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons
80
Subtropical desert
a biome prevailing at approximately 30 N and 30 S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation
81
Littoral zone
the shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow
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Limnetic zone
a zone of open water in lakes and ponds
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Phytoplankton
floating algae
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Benthic zone
muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean
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Profundal zone
a region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes
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Oligotrophic
describes a lake with a low level of productivity
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Mesotrophic
describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity
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Eutrophic
describes a lake with a high level of productivity
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Freshwater wetland
an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
90
Salt marsh
a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates
91
Estuary
an area along the coast where the freshwater of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean
92
Mangrove swamp
a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water
93
Intertidal zone
the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide
94
Coral reef
the most diverse marine biome on earth, found in warm water, shallow waters beyond the shoreline
95
Coral bleaching
a phenomenon in which algae inside coral die, causing the corals to turn white
96
Open ocean
deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom
97
Photic zone
the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis
98
Aphotic zone
the deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis
99
Chemosynthesis
a process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide
100
Species richness
the number of species in a given area
101
Species evenness
the relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area
102
Phylogeny
the branching pattern of evolutionary relationships
103
Evolution
a change in the genetic composition of a population over time
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Microevolution
evolution below the species level
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Macroevolution
evolution that gives rise to new species, genera, families, classes, or phyla
106
Gene
a physical location on the chromosomes within each cell of an organism
107
Genotype
the complete set of genes in an individual
108
Phenotype
a set of traits expressed by an individual
109
Mutation
a random change in the genetic code produced by a mistake in the copying process
110
Recombination
the genetic process by which one chromosome breaks off and attaches to another chromosome during reproductive cell division
111
Evolution by artificial selection
the process in which humans determine which individuals breed, typically with a preconceived set of traits in mind
112
Evolution by natural selection
the process in which the environment determines which individuals survive and reproduce
113
Fitness-
an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce
114
Adaptation
a trait that improves an individual’s fitness
115
Gene flow
the process by which individuals move from one population to another and thereby alter the genetic composition or both populations
116
Genetic drift
a change in the genetic composition of a population over time as a result of random mating
117
Bottleneck Effect
a reduction in the genetic diversity of a population caused by a reduction in its size
118
Extinction
the death of the last member of a species
119
Founder effect
a change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals
120
Geographic isolation
physical separation of a group of individuals from others of the same species
121
Allopatric speciation
the process of speciation that occurs with geographic isolation
122
Reproductive isolation
the result of two populations within a species evolving separately to the point that they can no longer interbreed and produce viable offspring
123
Sympatric speciation
the evolution of one species into two, without geographic isolation
124
Genetically modified organism (GMO)
an organism produced by copying genes from a species with a desirable trait and inserting them into another species
125
Range of tolerance
the limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate
126
Fundamental niche
the suite of abiotic conditions under which a species can survive, grow, and reproduce.
127
Realized niche
the range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species actually lives
128
Distribution
areas of the world in which a species lives
129
Niche generalist
a species that can live under a wide range of abiotic or biotic conditions
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Niche specialist
a species that is specialized to live in a specific habitat or to feed on a small group of species.
131
Mass extinction
a large extinction of species in a relatively short period of time
132
Scientific Method
Observation
Hypothesis
Experiment
Analyze
Test Results
133
What factors come to play in the range of tolerance?
Habitats, rainfall, humidity, salinity, ph level
134
The amount of solar energy varies: this concerns the seasons.
1st reason - the angle the sun's rays strike the earth
2nd reason - variation in the amount of surface area which the sun's rays are distributed
3rd reason - some areas of earth reflect more solar energy than others
135
Properties that determine how air circulates
1st property: density
2nd property: temperature
3rd property: pressure
4th property: water vapor
136
Human impacts on ecosystems
Overharvesting, Overfishing, Humans, invasive species, destroying of habitat.
