Unit 1 Flashcards by Isabella Giovino

-takes up carbon in the form of CO2 from the atmosphere or water and uses the carbon to create glucose
- CO2 + H2O -> C6H12O6 + O2

photosynthesis

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uses glucose and returns carbon to the environment in the form of CO2
C6H12O6 + O2 -> CO2 + H20 + ATP

cellular respiration

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-don’t eat b/c they make their own food
-most important organism & most abundant
- transform energy from solar to chemical
- produce food
- ex. plants, algae, phytoplankton, cyanobacteria

producer

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-organisms that consume other organisms to obtain their energy

consumer

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-consumers that hunt & seek out other organisms to eat

predator

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organisms hunted & eaten by predators

prey

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precipitation that cannot infiltrate into soil/the ground

runoff

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biotic

living things

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abiotic

non-living things

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-process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3-) which are useful to producers
- N2 -> NH3 -> NH4+ done by bacteria, lighting and combustion

nitrogen fixation

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-nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then nitrate (NO3-)
- NH4+ -> NO2- -> NO3- -> done by bacteria

nitrification

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-anaerobic denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate into gaseous nitrous oxide (N2O) and finally nitrogen gas
-NO3- -> N2O -> N2 done by bacteria

denitrification

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-ammonia, ammonium, nitrite or nitrate are taken up by producers and the nitrogen is incorporated into the tissues
-consumers take up nitrogen by eating the producers
- NO3- is uptaken by plants through roots then to animals

assimilation

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-phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizers leaches into bodies of water and causes algal bloom and hypoxic water creating dead zones and a eutrophic body of water
- decrease in oxygen

eutrophication

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water released from plants into the atmosphere through stoma

transpiration

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rain, snow, ice, hail that falls from clouds to earth’s surface

precipitation

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heat changes liquid water to water vapor

evaporation

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temperature decreases and changes the water vapor to liquid water

condensation

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when precipitation seeps into the ground/soil

infiltration/percolation/seepage

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the combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

evapotranspiration

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the sum total of an organism’s use of abiotic & biotic resources in the environment

niche

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source

what adds to the cycle

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sink

what is removed from the cycle

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-2 species that increase the chances of survival and reproduction for each other
- (+,+)

mutualism

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-one species benefits and the other species neither benefits or is harmed - (+,0)

commensalism

-one organism lives on or in another organism (host) -usually doesn't cause death to the host - (+,-)

parasitism

different species that live in close contact with each other

symbiosis

2 species divide a resource based on differences in their behavior or morphology

resource partitioning

a geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land

terrestrial biome

an aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow

aquatic biome

an impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

permafrost

a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation.

temperate rainforest

a biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m (39 inches) of precipitation annually

temperate seasonal forest

a biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers

temperate grassland/cold desert

- a warm and wet biome found between 20°N and 20°S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation - most biodiversity of all biomes

tropical rainforest

a biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons

savanna

floating algae

phytoplankton

animals that live in the water on oceans, lakes & ponds

zooplankton

the average weather hat occurs in a given region over a long period of time

climate

a large natural/artificial lake used as a source of water supply

reservior

the removal of rock from its landscape

erosion

measures the distance north/south of the equator

latitude

the process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium

ammonification

the movement of carbon around the biosphere

carbon cycle

the movement of nitrogen around the biosphere

nitrogen cycle

- the movement of phosphorus around the biosphere - NOT in the atmosphere/gas

phosphorus cycle

- rock that forms when sediments such as muds, sands, or gravels are compressed by overlying sediments -forms over longer periods of time -fossil records found here

sedimentary rock

- rocks that settle to the bottom of waters - ex. sand, silt, clay

sediment

a fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago

fossil fuels

aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved salt

marine ecosystems

a cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation

tundra

competition that occurs between individuals of different species

interspecific competition

- competition that occurs between individuals of the same species - makes species stronger and better adapted to its environment

intraspecific competition

any body of water above ground, including streams, rivers & lakes

surface water

What two aquatic biomes are the most productive?

marshes and swamps (wetlands)

What is a major reservoir of carbon?

ocean

What is a major reservoir of nitrogen?

atmosphere

What is a major reservoir of phosphorus?

sediments

What is a major reservoir of water?

ice caps and groundwater

total amount of solar energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time

gross primary productivity

amount of energy lost through respiration by producers subtracted from the gross primary productivity of an ecosystem

net primary productivity

forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons

boreal forest

biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters

shrubland

biome prevailing at approximately 30°N and 30°S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation

desert

flowing fresh water that may originate from underground springs or as runoff from rain or melting snow

streams and rivers

contain standing water, at least some of which is too deep to support emergent vegetation

lakes and ponds

- aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation - the most productive biomes on Earth

freshwater wetland

- a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates - one of the most productive biomes in the world

salt marsh

- a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt tolerant trees with roots submerged in water - mangrove trees are salt tolerant and help protect the coastlines from erosion and storm damage

mangrove swamp

the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide

intertidal zone

the most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline

coral reef

deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

open ocean

the total mass of all living matter in a specific area

biomass

tiny pores on the underside of leaves that connect the inside of the leaf to the environment

stoma

surround the stoma and regulate when it is opened and closed

guard cell

Aerobic respiration

uses oxygen

Anaerobic Respiration

does not use oxygen

- the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another. - Usually low, about 10%.

Ecological Efficiency

what increases runoff?

deforestation and paving over land