Unit 1 Flashcards
IMPORTANT: 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.9, 1.10, & 1.11
Explain the availability of resources influences species interactions
What influences species interactions?
1.1
Availability of resources
This includes factors like food, water, and habitat space.
Explain the availability of resources influences species interactions
Define predator-prey
1.1
A relationship where one organism (predator) hunts and consumes another (prey)
This interaction is crucial for population control.
Explain the availability of resources influences species interactions
What are the two types of producers, consumers, and decomposers?
1.1
- Producers -> Autotroph
- Consumers -> heterotroph
- Decomposers -> heterotroph
Producers create energy, consumers use it, and decomposers break down organic matter.
Explain the availability of resources influences species interactions
What is symbiosis?
1.1
A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species
Explain the availability of resources influences species interactions
What is are the three types of symbiosis and definition?
1.1
- Commensalism(Only one benefit)
- Mutualism(Both benefit)
- Parasitism and/or predation (One: benefit & other:detriment)
- Competition(Both detriment)
describe the global environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes
What are the principal environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes?
1.2
- Climate
- Geography
- Latitude
- Altitude
These factors affect the distribution and characteristics of biomes.
describe the global environmental aspects of terrestrial biomes
List the types of terrestrial biomes.
1.2
- Taiga
- Temperate Rainforest
- Temperate Seasonal Forests (Deciduous)
- Tropical Rainforests
- Shrubland
- Temperate Grasslands
- Savanna (Tropical Grasslands)
- Desert
- Tundra
Each biome has unique climate and vegetation characteristics.
What defines freshwater biomes?
1.3
- Streams & Rivers
- Lakes & Ponds
Freshwater biomes are characterized by low salt concentrations.
What are the main types of marine biomes?
1.3
- Open Ocean
- Coral Reefs
- Marshland & Estuaries
Marine biomes cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface.
What are the key components affecting aquatic biomes?
1.3
- Algae/Plankton
- Salinity
- Turbidity
- Depth (light zones)
These factors influence the types of organisms that can thrive in these environments.
What processes are involved in the carbon cycle?
- Cellular respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Decomposition
- Fossil fuels
- Combustion of fossil fuels
- CO & CO2
- Sinks or reservoirs: organic matter, fossil fuels & limestone
The carbon cycle is essential for regulating carbon in ecosystems.
What is the primary sink for nitrogen?
The atmosphere (78%)
Nitrogen is crucial for DNA and proteins.
What role do bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle?
They are major converters of forms of nitrogen through the cycle
Key processes include nitrogen-fixation and ammonification.
What is the main sink for phosphorus?
Sedimentary rock
Phosphorus is vital for DNA and cell membranes.
Sink vs Source
Sink: Absorbs material more than it outputs
Source: adds to the system but doesn’t recieve input
What is the difference between reservoirs and sinks?
Reservoir: Stores and exchanges material to contribute to the system
Sink: Removes material from a system by storing more than it outputs
Reservoir: Input ≈ Output
Sink: Input > Output
What powers the hydrologic cycle?
The sun
It includes processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Hwod eso nitrogen fixation happen?
N2 –> NO3 or NH3 by bacteria in soil or legumes in plant roots
List the steps of the hydrologic cycle.
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Run-off
- Infiltration
- Groundwater/Aquifer
The ocean is the largest sink for water.
What is Primary Productivity?
The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances
Measured as Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP).
How is energy transferred in ecosystems?
Light energy → Chemical energy
Ecosystems rely on the continuous inflow of energy, typically from the sun.
What is the 10% rule?
Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next
This rule illustrates energy loss through trophic levels.
What defines food chains and food webs?
- Food chains: linear pathways of energy flow
- Food webs: complex networks of feeding relationships
They illustrate how energy and nutrients circulate in ecosystems.
What are positive feedback loops?
Processes that amplify changes in a system
They can lead to rapid shifts in ecological balance.
