ESS Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is a niche?
The particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources to which an organism or population responds.
What is Bioaccumulation?
The build up of persistent/non-biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level because they cannot be broken down.
What is Biomagnification?
The increase in concentration of persistent/non-biodegradable pollutants along a food chain.
What is a trophic level?
The position that an organism occupies in a food chain or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same position in food chains.
What is a secondary pollutant?
Pollutants which are formed by primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical change.
What is a species?
A group of organisms sharing characteristics that interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
What is a primary pollutant?
Pollutants which are active on emission.
Describe a stable equilibrium.
Over time, the system state features a disturbance, which is then resolved. —-v—-. Time x System state y
Describe an unstable equilibrium.
Over time, the sytem state features a disturbance, which is not resolved. —-\____. Time x System state y.
What is a negative feedback loop?
(Stabilising) Occurs when the output of a process inhibits or reverses the operation of the same process in such a way to reduce change - it counteracts deviation.
What is a positive feedback loop?
(Destabilising) Will tend to amplify changes and drive the system toward a tipping point where a new equilibrium is adopted.
How do you calculate Net Primary Productivity [NPP]?
By subtracting respiratory losses from Gross Primary Productivity. NPP = GPP - R
What is Gross Secondary Productivity [GSP]?
The total energy/biomass assimilated by consumers
How do you calculate Gross Secondary Productivity [GSP]?
By subtracting the mass of faecal loss from the mass of food eaten.
How do you calculate Net Secondary Productivity [NSP]?
By subtracting respiratory loss from the Gross Secondary Productivity.
NSP = GSP - R
What are maximum sustainable yields?
They are the equivalent to the net primary or net secondary productivity of a system.
What are the storages and flows of the carbon cycle?
Storages: Organisms in forests, the atmosphere, soil, fossil fuels, and oceans.
Flows: Consumption (feeding), death and decomposition, photosynthesis, respiration, dissolving, and fossilisation.
What are the storages and flows of the nitrogen cycle?
Storages: Organisms, soil, fossil fuels, atmosphere, and water bodies.
Flows: Nitrogen fixation by bacteria and lightning, absorption, assimilation, consumption, excretion, death and decomposition, and denitrification by bacteria in waterlogged soils.
How do you calculate the efficiency of assimilation?
Gross productivity X 100 / food eaten.
How do you calculate biomass productivity?
Net Productivity X 100 / gross productivity.
What is a biome?
A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions which can be grouped into 5 major classes - aquatic, forest, grassland, desert, and tundra.
What does a tricellular model do?
One of atmospheric circulation explains the distribution of precipitation and temperature influencing structure and relative productivity of different terrestrial biomes.
What is Zonation?
Changes in community along an environmental gradient to due to factors such as changes in altitude, latitude, tidal level, or distance from shore.
What is Succession?
The process or change over time in an ecosystem involving pioneer, intermediate, and climax communities.
