Flashcards in Ecosystem, Energy Flow & Food Webs Deck (21)
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1
ecosystem
all orgs living in the same geographic area juntos w/ abiotic components that affect or exchange materials w/ orgs
community + its physical environ
2
nutrient
any substance org require for normal growth, maintenance or reproduction
3
biosphere
thin zone surrounding earth where all life exists
- sum of all terrestrial & aquatic ecosystems
4
primary producer
any org that creates its own food via photosynthesis or from reduced inorganic compounds
- food source for otro species in its ecosystem
- aka autotroph
5
autotroph
any org that synthesizes reduced organic compounds from simple inorganic sources (CO2, CH4)
6
gross primary productivity (GPP)
total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis
- cellular respiration (55%) + growth/reproduction (45%)
7
net primary productivity (NPP)
total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis over a given period of time minus amount oxidized during cellular respiration
- growth/reproduction part of GPP
8
consumer
org that cannot synthesize reduced organic compounds from inorganic sources, obtain them from otro orgs
- aka heterotroph
(ie) some bacteria/archaea & all fungi and animals
9
primary consumer
herbivore; org that eats plants, algae or otro primary producers
10
secondary consumer
carnivore; org that eats herbivores
11
tertiary consumer
or that feeds on secondary consumers
12
decomposer
org that eats mainly dead organic matter
- aka detritivore
(ie) various bacteria, fungi, protists & animals
13
trophic level
feeding level in an ecosystem
14
food chain
relatively simple pathway of energy flow through a few species
- each @ diff. trophic level in an ecosystem
- includes: PP, PC, SC & decomposer
- subset of food web
15
grazing food chain
ecological network of herbivores, predators & parasites that consume them
16
decomposer food chain
ecological network of detritus
decomposers that eats detritus + predators/parasites that eat decomposers
17
primary decomposer
decomposer that consumes detritus from plants
18
food web
complex interaction network among species in an ecosystem formed by energy & nutrient transfer
- consists of many food chains
19
biomagnification
increase in molecules conc. @ higher levels in a food chain
- higher orgs not able to metabolize or excrete molecule
(ie) DDT spray on crops affect birds
20
trophic cascade
series of changes in species abundance in a food web
- caused by addition/removal of a key predator
(ie) wolf removal from ecosystem effects
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