Unit 1 Flashcards
(171 cards)
1
Q
Ecosystem
A
Community of living organisms interacting with non-living environment through nutrient and energy cycles
2
Q
Organism
A
A living thing capable of functioning independently
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Q
Species
A
Group of organisms similar genetically, behaviorally, and able to interbreed producing fertile offspring
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Interspecific
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Interaction or competition between different species
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Intraspecific
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Interaction or competition within the same species
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Q
Population
A
Organisms of the same species living and interacting in a specific area
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Q
Community
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Populations of different species living together in one area
8
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Ecological Niche
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Role and function of an organism within its habitat and community
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Q
Physical Environment
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Abiotic factors that influence organisms and their interactions
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Niche
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Specific adaptations a species has developed to survive and reproduce
11
Q
Generalists
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Species able to survive on varied food and withstand broad environmental conditions, live in broad niches
12
Q
Specialists
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Species with limited prey or habitat, live in narrow niches, sensitive to environmental changes, prone to extinction
13
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Symbiosis
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Close, long-term interaction between two different species
14
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Amensalism
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One species is harmed, the other is unaffected
15
Q
Commensalism
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One species benefits, the other is unaffected
16
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Competition
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Struggle between organisms for resources, can be intraspecific or interspecific
17
Q
Predator-Prey Relationships
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Feeding interaction where predator hunts prey, prey tries to survive
18
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Mutualism
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Both species benefit from the interaction
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Parasitism
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One species benefits, the other is harmed
20
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Opportunistic Predators
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Predators that eat almost anything
21
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Specialist Predators
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Predators that prey on specific organisms only
22
Q
Saprotrophism
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Nutrients obtained by absorbing from dead or decaying matter
23
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Law of Tolerance
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Species survival depends on tolerance to physical and chemical factors
24
Q
Limiting Factor
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Abiotic factor that restricts population growth or distribution
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Predator-Prey Cycles
Population sizes of predators and prey fluctuate based on availability and predation
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Morphological Partitioning
Species evolve different structures to share the same resource
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Spatial Partitioning
Species use the same resource by living in different areas
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Temporal Partitioning
Species use the same resource at different times to avoid competition
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Biomes
Major regional or global communities characterized by dominant plants and climate
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Average Air Temperature
Main factor controlling biome distribution
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Amount of Rainfall
Second main factor controlling biome distribution
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Deserts
Regions receiving less than 20 inches (50 cm) of rainfall annually
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Arctic Tundra
Cold desert with low rainfall
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Succulents
Plants with fleshy leaves or stems that store water
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Cactus
Plants with spines that reduce water loss, protect from herbivores, and reflect sunlight, secrete toxins to reduce competition
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Wildflowers
Dependent on water to germinate, short life cycles, complete life cycle in one growing season
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Desert Animals
Generally small, nocturnal, with small surface area, live in cool underground burrows
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Aestivation
Summer hibernation to survive heat and drought
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Forests
Cover one-third of Earth’s land, major source of primary productivity and biomass
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Ecozones
Regional forests differing by latitude and elevation (e.g., boreal, tropical)
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Closed Canopy
Tree crowns cover >20% of ground surface
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Open Canopy
Tree crowns cover <20% of ground surface
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Tropical Rainforests
High species diversity, rapid decomposition, no winter season, high, evenly distributed rainfall, multilayered canopy, buttressed trunks
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Overstory
Uppermost layer of tall trees in a forest
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Understory
Layer of young trees, shrubs, and small plants beneath the canopy
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Temperate Deciduous Forests
Found in North America, Asia, and Europe, distinct seasons, fertile soils enriched by leaf litter, canopy allows light penetration
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Temperate Coniferous Forests
Found in temperate zones, contain pines, firs, spruces, two-layered with overstory and understory, some have shrub layer
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Temperate Coniferous Forest
In winter, many animals hibernate to conserve energy, birds have feathers and animals have thick fur, some migrate to warmer areas
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Taiga
Largest terrestrial biome, found in northern Eurasia, North America, Scandinavia, and Siberia
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Southern Taiga
Boreal forest with cold-tolerant evergreen conifers like pines, spruces, and larches
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Northern Taiga
More barren near tree line, transitions to tundra biome
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Grasslands
Land dominated by grasses rather than shrubs or trees
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Savannas
Grasslands with scattered trees, cover large parts of Africa, Australia, South America, India
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Temperate Grasslands
Grasses dominate, few or no trees or large shrubs
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Tundra
Extremely cold, low precipitation, poor soil nutrients, low biodiversity, short growing seasons
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Arctic Tundra
Cold, dry desert-like biome surrounding the North Pole, highly specialized, sensitive biota
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Permafrost
Permanently frozen soil layer beneath surface
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Alpine Tundra
High altitude tundra on mountains where trees cannot grow
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Aquatic Biomes
Include Antarctic, marine, lakes, wetlands, rivers
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Antarctica
Coldest climate on Earth
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Ice Sheet
Compressed snow that rarely melts, covering Antarctica
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Krill
Key food source in Antarctic ecosystems for many predators
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Oceans
Cover about 75% of Earth’s surface, salt concentration ~3%
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Evaporation
Primary source of most global rainfall from seawater
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Convection
Circular movement of warm air/liquid rising and cool air/liquid sinking
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Conveyor Belt
Thermohaline currents driving constant deep ocean water movement
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Littoral Zone
Intertidal zone, ocean area closest to shore
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Neritic Zone
Extends from shore to edge of continental shelf
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Photic Zone
Upper water layer with sunlight penetration, supporting photosynthesis
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Corals
Marine invertebrates living in colonies made of many polyps
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Polyps
Small sac-like animals with tentacles and calcium carbonate exoskeleton base
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Zooxanthellae
Photosynthetic dinoflagellates living inside coral tissues providing energy and nutrients
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Fringing Reefs
Reefs near coastlines, separated by narrow, shallow lagoons, most common reef type
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Barrier Reefs
Parallel to coastlines, separated by deep, wide lagoons, can reach water surface forming navigation barriers
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Atolls
Ring-shaped coral reefs creating protected lagoons, formed by sinking islands or rising sea levels
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Lakes
Large natural standing freshwater bodies formed by precipitation, runoff, or groundwater filling depressions
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Artificial Lakes
Constructed for hydroelectric power, recreation, industry, agriculture, or water supply
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Benthic Zone
Lake bottom, cold, low oxygen, inhabited by specialized organisms
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Limnetic Zone
Well-lit open water far from shore, inhabited by plankton and fish, produces food and oxygen
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Littoral Zone
Shallow near-shore area with rooted and floating plants
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Profundal Zone
Deep, dark lake zone without light or photosynthesis, low oxygen, fish adapted to cool dark water live here
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Oligotrophic Lake
Young lake, deep, cold, nutrient-poor, low productivity, clear water
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Mesotrophic Lake
Mid-aged lake, moderate nutrients and productivity
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Eutrophic Lake
Old lake, shallow, warm, nutrient-rich, often murky water
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Stratification
Layering of lake water by temperature and density differences
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Hypolimnion
Cold, dense lower water layer insulated from sunlight
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Seasonal Turnover
Bi-annual mixing of surface and bottom waters in lakes or ponds
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Fall Turnover
Cooling surface water in fall sinks, wind mixes lake layers
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Spring Turnover
Ice melts, surface warms to bottom temperature, winds mix lake layers
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Wetlands
Areas covered by water at least part of the year, support aquatic plants
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Source Zone
Headwaters of streams, cold, clear, fast-moving, low nutrients and sediment
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Transition Zone
Wider, slower streams with more sediment and nutrients, substrate accumulates silt
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Floodplain Zone
Warm, murky water with high sediment and nutrients, tributaries form rivers flowing to estuaries
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Riparian areas
Lands adjacent to creeks, lakes, rivers, and streams that support vegetation dependent on free water in the soil
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Carbon
Exchanged among biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, basic building block of life, found in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, nucleic acids
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Carbon
Can precipitate into ocean’s deep layers as dead soft tissue or calcium carbonate shells
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Ocean acidification
Disrupts coral reef formation and viability of externally fertilized egg cells, caused by CO2 absorption
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Plant Matter
Removes about 15% of atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis
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Terrestrial Biosphere
Forests store ~90% of above-ground carbon and ~75% of soil carbon on Earth
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Oceans
Use dissolved CO2 for photosynthesis by phytoplankton and kelp
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Sedimentary Deposits
Limestone (CaCO3) is the largest carbon reservoir in the carbon cycle
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Nitrogen
Makes up 78% of the atmosphere
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Nitrogen
Essential for amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids
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Atmospheric nitrogen (N2)
Abundant but biologically limited, usable nitrogen is scarce in ecosystems
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Nitrogen cycle
Altered drastically by fossil fuel use, inorganic fertilizers, wastewater
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Nitrogen
Contributes to water acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, needed for chlorophyll and plant growth, affects production and decomposition
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Nitrogen Fixation
Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to biologically usable ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3–)
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Natural cycling of nitrogen
Nitrogen oxides formed by lightning, deposited by rain, assimilated by plants, eaten by animals or decomposed by bacteria
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Rhizobium
Legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria key in nitrogen fixation
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Nitrification
Ammonia converted to nitrite (NO2–) and nitrate (NO3–), usable forms for plants
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Assimilation
Plants absorb ammonia, ammonium (NH4+), nitrate through roots
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Ammonification
Decomposers convert dead matter to ammonia and ammonium ions
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Denitrification
Anaerobic bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites, nitrates, nitrogen gas (N2), and nitrous oxide (N2O)
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Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Fossil fuel combustion increased atmospheric NOx sevenfold, especially nitrogen dioxide
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NOx
Creates tropospheric ozone, smog, acid rain, and nitrogen input to ecosystems
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Ammonia (NH3)
Atmospheric levels tripled since Industrial Revolution due to human activities
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Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Greenhouse gas that destroys stratospheric ozone
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Nitrification
Sequential oxidation of reduced nitrogen compounds to nitrite and nitrate
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Denitrification
Reduction of nitrate and nitrite to gaseous nitrogen forms
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Phosphorus
Essential for nucleotides, ATP, fats, bones, teeth, shells
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Phosphorus
Not found in atmosphere, stored mainly in sedimentary rocks as phosphate or hydrogen phosphate ions, slowly released by weathering and acid rain, often limiting nutrient in soils, key fertilizer element
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Water cycle
Powered by the sun’s energy, evaporates water from oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, soil, and vegetation
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Dynamic equilibrium
State where rate of evaporation equals rate of precipitation in the water cycle
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Condensation
Conversion of vapor or gas to liquid
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Evaporation
Process of turning liquid into vapor
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Evapotranspiration
Water transfer from land to atmosphere via evaporation from soil/surfaces and transpiration from plants
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Infiltration
Water on ground surface entering the soil
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Precipitation
Rain, snow, sleet, or hail falling to the ground
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Runoff
Water flowing over land surface, not absorbed into groundwater or evaporated
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Capillary action
Hydrogen bonding effect helping tree roots absorb water, enabling tree growth
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Floating ice
Life-critical near poles, caused by water molecule arrangement changes at different temperatures
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Aquifer
Geologic formation storing enough water to support wells or springs
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Confined "artesian well" aquifer
A saturated aquifer below land surface
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Recharge zone
Surface area above aquifer supplying water to it
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Unsaturated zone
Below land surface, soil spaces contain both water and air, but not fully saturated
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Water table
Level below which ground is saturated with water
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Depletion of aquifer
Mainly caused by sustained groundwater pumping
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Land subsidence
Sinking of land due to groundwater extraction
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Water shortages
Water insecurity for domestic/agricultural use due to groundwater depletion
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Saltwater intrusion
Saltwater movement into freshwater aquifers causing contamination
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Photosynthesis
Plants remove CO2 from atmosphere and use light energy to make carbohydrates and organic compounds
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Chlorophyll
Green pigment capturing light in plants
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Chloroplasts
Organelles containing chlorophyll
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Oxidation of glucose
Energy from glucose oxidation during respiration used to form organic compounds like cellulose, lipids, amino acids, proteins
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Oxygen gas
Released during photosynthesis, plants emit CO2 during respiration
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Trophic level
Position of an organism in a food chain, number of steps from the start of the chain
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Food web
Interconnection of food chains in an ecosystem
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Ecological pyramids
Show ecosystem properties, primary producers at base, energy decreases at higher trophic levels
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Inverted biomass pyramids
Occur sometimes in aquatic and coral reef ecosystems
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Primary consumers
Longer lifespan, slower growth, accumulate more biomass than producers they consume
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Aquatic predators
Lower death rates than smaller consumers, contributing to inverted pyramid patterns
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Energy pyramids
Always upright if all food energy sources included
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Second Law of Thermodynamics
Energy transfer/transformation results in increasing energy waste (heat)
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Entropy
Natural tendency of isolated systems to move from order to disorder
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Sun
Ultimate energy source for ecosystems
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Photosynthesis
Energy conversion process capturing sunlight to make organic compounds
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Heterotrophs
Organisms dependent on photosynthetic organisms for energy
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Cellular respiration
Opposite of photosynthesis, oxidizes glucose to release energy
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Glucose
Oxidized in respiration to produce CO2, water, and chemical energy
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Decay
Energy lost as heat during metabolism, temperature control, incomplete digestion, and waste
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Sunlight
Ultimate energy source for most biological processes
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10% Rule
Only ~10% of energy transfers from one trophic level to the next, rest lost mostly as heat
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Productivity
Rate of biomass generation in an ecosystem, measured as mass per area or volume per time
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Primary productivity
Biomass production by autotrophs
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Secondary productivity
Biomass production by heterotrophs
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Secondary production
Generation of biomass by heterotrophs, depends on organic material transfer between trophic levels
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Biomass pyramid
Shows organic mass at each trophic level
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Energy pyramids
Show energy passed from one trophic level to next
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Gross primary production (GPP)
Rate plants capture and fix energy as biomass
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Net primary production (NPP)
GPP minus energy used by plants, net useful chemical energy produced
171
Open oceans
Collectively have highest net primary productivity among ecosystems
