Unit 1: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Flashcards
(129 cards)
1
Q
10% Rule
A
The rule that in the food chain, only about 10% of energy is transferred from one level to the next.
2
Q
Abiotic
A
Nonliving; relating to factors or things that are separate or independent from living things.
3
Q
Abyssal Zone
A
The deepest region of the ocean, marked by extremely low temps and low levels of dissolved oxygen. But has high levels of nutrients due to the decayed plant and animal matter that sinks from the zones above.
4
Q
Ammonification
A
The production of Ammonia or ammonium compounds in the decomposition of organic matter, especially through the action of bacteria;
5
Q
Anaerobic
A
w/o oxygen
6
Q
Aquatic Life Zones
A
Ecosystems in aqueous environmentss
7
Q
Assimilation
A
The process in which plants absorb ammonium, ammonia ions, and nitrate ions through their roots.
8
Q
Autotrophs
A
Producers; organisms that can produce their own organic compounds from inorganic compounds; they use energy from the sun or from oxidation of inorganic substances
9
Q
Barrier Island
A
A long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built up the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.
10
Q
Bathyal Zone
A
The Middle Region of the ocean, characterized by less density of organisms because it does not have enough sunlight to support photosynthesis.
11
Q
Benthic Zone
A
The surface and sub-surface layers of the body of water characterized by very low temps and low oxygen levels.
12
Q
Biodiversity
A
The number and variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region, or ecosystem, or the variability among living organisms, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems.
13
Q
Biogeochemical Cycles
A
The complex cycles through which nutrients such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water move through the environment.
14
Q
Biological Extinction
A
True extermination of a species; no individuals of this species are left on the planet.
15
Q
Biomes
A
Ecosystem based on land
16
Q
Biotic
A
Living or derived from living things
17
Q
Chaparral
A
Scrub forest or shrubland: a biome characterized by moderate precipitation, shallow or infertile soil, small trees with large, hard evergreen leaves and spiny shrubs.
18
Q
Chemotrophs
A
Autotrophic bacteria that use chemosynthesis to produce energy in anaerobic environments.
19
Q
Climax Community
A
A stable, mature community in a successive series that has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment.
20
Q
Coastal Zone
A
Ocean Zone consisting of the ocean water closest to land, usually defined as between the shore and the end of the continental shelf; characterized by abundant sunlight and oxygen
21
Q
Combusted
A
Burned
22
Q
Commensalism
A
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is neither helped not hurt.
23
Q
Commercial Extinction
A
Few individuals exist but the effort needed to locate and harvest them is not worth the expense.
24
Q
Community
A
Formed from populations of different species occupying the same geographical area.
25
Competition
The relationship that exists when two individuals- of the same or different species- compete for resources in the same environment.
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Competitive Exclusion
The process that occurs when two different species in a region compete and the better adapted species wins.
27
Coniferous Forest (Taiga)
A biome characterized by moderate precipitation, acidic soil, and eating plant or animal matter.
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Consumers
Organisms that must obtain food energy from secondary sources, for example, by eating plant or animal matter.
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Coral Reef
An erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.
30
Cultural Services
Use of nature for science and education, therapeutic and recreational uses, and spiritual and cultural uses.
31
Deciduous Forest
A biome characterized by adequate precipitation, rich soil with high organic content, and hardwood trees.
32
Decomposers
Organism that consume dead plant and animal material - the process of decomposition returns nutrients to the environment
33
Denitrification
The process in which specialized bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate ion, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen, which are released back into the atmosphere.
34
Deserts
Biomes characterized by extremely low precipitation, coarse sandy soil, and cactus and other low-water adapted plants.
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Denitrivores
Organisms that derive energy from consuming nonliving organic matter, such as dead animals or fallen leaves.
36
Ecological Extinction
The condition in which there are so few individuals of a species that the species can no longer perform its ecological function.
37
Ecological Succession
The transition in species composition of a biological community, often following ecological disturbance of the community; the establishment of a biological community in any area virtually barren of life.
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Ecosystem
A system of interconnected elements: a community of living organism and its environment
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Ecosystem Services
Benefits that humans receive from the ecosystem in nature when they function properly.
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Ecotones
Regions where different biomes overlap
41
Edge Effect
The condition in which there are greater species diversity and biological density at ecosystem boundaries than at the heart of ecological community.
42
Energy Pyramid
The structure obtained if we organize the amount of energy contained in producers and consumers in an ecosystem by kilocalories per square meter, from largest to smallest.
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Estuary
The part of the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by the tides.
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Euphotic Zone
The photic, upper layers in ocean water; the warmest region in the ocean water and has the highest levels of dissolved oxygen.
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Eutrophication
Warm water becoming overly enriched with minerals and nutrients to the point of excessive growth of algae and other phytoplankton occurs.
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Evaporation
Conversion of liquid in gas.
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Evolution
Change in genetic composition of a population during successive generations as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals and resulting in the development of new species.
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Evolutionary Fitness
The better-adaptedness of individual organisms for their environment that allows them to live and reproduce, ensuring that their genes are part of their populations next generation.
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Extinction
The death of an entire species; permanent inactivity.
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Food chain
A succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member in turn, is preyed upon by a higher member
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Food Web
A complex of interrelated food chains in an ecological community
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Fundamental Niche
The Niche that a species would inhabit if there were no competition
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Gause's Principle
States that no two species can occupy the same niche at the same time, and that the species that is less fit to live in the environment will either relocate, die out, or occupy a smaller niche.
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Gene Pool
The total genetic makeup of a population
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Generalist
A species that has a broad niche, is highly adaptable, and can live in varied habitats.
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Genetic drift
The random fluctuations in the frequency of the appearance of a gene in a small isolated population, presumably owing to chance, rather than natural selection.
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Grasslands
A biome characterized by moderate precipitation, rich soil, and sod-forming grasses.
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Gross Primary Productivity
The amount of sugar that the plants produce in the photosynthesis.
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Groundwater
Any water that comes from below the ground
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Habitat
The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs.
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Habitat Fragmentation
When the size of an organism natural habitat is reduced, or when development occurs that isolates a habitat or part one.
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Heterotroph
An organism that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition.
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Hypolimnion
The lower, colder, and denser layer of freshwater
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Indicator Species
Species that used as a standard to evaluate the health of an ecosystem
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Indigenous Species
Species that originate and live, or occur naturally, in an area or environment.
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Interspecific Competition
Competition between individuals of different species
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Intraspecific Competition
Competition between individuals of the same species.
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Invasive Species
Introduced, non-native species
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Keystone Species
A species whose very presence contributes to an ecosystem diversity and whose extinction would consequently lead to the extinction of other forms of life.
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Law of Conservation of Matter
States that matter can neither by created or destroyed.
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Law of the Minimum
States that living organisms will continue to live, consuming materials until the supply of these materials is exhausted.
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Law of Tolerance
Describes the degree to which living organisms are capable of tolerating changes in their environment.
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Limnetic Zone
The surface of open ocean water; the region that extends to the depth that sunlight can penetrate.
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Limiting Factor
Any factor that controls a populations growth.
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Littoral Zone
Ocean Zone beginning with very shallow water at the shoreline and extending to the depth at which rooted plants stop growing.
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Macroevolution
Large-scale patterns of evolution within biological organisms over long periods of time.
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Mangrove swamps
Coastal Wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions
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Microevolution
small-scale evolutionary changes over relatively short periods of time.
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mutualism
a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit.
80
natural selection
The process by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generation, while those less adapted tend to be eliminated.
81
Net Primary production
The amount of energy that plants pass on to the community of herbivores in an ecosystem; the amount of sugar that the plants produce in photosynthesis minus the amount of energy the plants need for growth, maintenance, repair, and reproduction.
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Niche
the total sum of a species; use of biotic and abiotic resources in its environment.
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nitrification
the process in which soil bacteria convert ammonium to a form that can by used by plants.
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nitrogen fixation
the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes.
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parasitism
a symbiotic relationship in which one member is helped by the association and the other is harmed.
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phosphorus cycle
the cycle through which phosphorus moves through the environment
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Phylogenetic tree
A branching diagram used to model evolution and describe the evolutionary relationships between species.
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pioneer species
the organisms that take root and adapt to the conditions of a habitat in the first stages of ecological succession,.
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Population
A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area.
90
Precipitation
Water that condenses in the atmosphere and falls to the Earth's surface in liquid or solid form.
91
Predation
When one species feeds on another
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Predator
A species that feeds on another species
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Prey
A species that's subject to predation by another species.
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primary consumer
organisms that consume producers
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Primary Succession
When ecological succession begins in a virtually lifeless area, such as the area behind a moving glacier.
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Producer
An organism that is capable of converting radiant energy or chemical energy into carbs.
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profundal zone
The depths; ocean water that is too deep for sunlight to penetrate. Because the profundal zone is aphotic, photosynthesizing plants and animals cannot live in this region
98
provisioning services
water, food, medicinal resources, raw materials, energy, and ornaments provided to humans by functioning ecosystems.
99
realized niche
the compromised niche a species occupies- smaller than the niche it would occupy in the absence of competition.
100
red tide
a bloom of dinoflagellates that causes reddish discoloration of coastal ocean waters: certain dinoflagellates of the genus gonyamlax produce toxins that kill fish and contaminate shellfish
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regulating services
waste decomposition and detoxification, purification of water and air, pest and disease control and regulation of prey populations through predation, and carbon sequestration.
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reservoir
a place where a large quantity of a resource sits for a long period of time
103
residency time
the amount of time a resource spends in a reservoir or exchange pool
104
resource partitioning
when different species rely on the same resource but use slightly different parts of the habitat to avoid competition.
105
respiration
The process by which animals breathe and give off carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism
106
runoff
that portion of rainfall that runs into streams as surface water rater than being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating.
107
saprotrophs
decomposers that use enzymes to break down dead organisms and absorb the nutrients
108
savanna
a biome characterized by low rainfall, porous soil with only a thin layer of humus, and grasses with widely spaced trees.
109
secondary consumers
organisms that consume primary consumers
110
secondary succession
ecological succession that takes place where an existing community has been cleared, but the soil has been left intact.
111
selective pressure
any cause that reduces reproductive success in a portion of the population
112
specialist
a species that has a narrow niche and can only live in a certain habitat
113
speciation
formation of new species through evolution
114
species
a ground of organisms that are capable of breeding with one another and incapable of breeding with other species
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species richness
the number of different species found in ecosystem
116
sulfur cycle
a cycle through which sulfur moves through the environment in different forms
117
supporting services
primary production, nutrient recycling, soil formation, and pollination (The category of ecosystem services that make other ecosystem services possible )
118
Symbiotic Relationships
Close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but not necessarily, benefit the members.
119
Temperate Rainforest
A biome characterized by abundant rain, moderately rich soil, and coniferous and broadleaf trees, epiphytes, mosses, ferns, and shrubs.
120
Terrestrial Cycle
A portion of a biogeochemical cycle that takes place on land
121
Tertiary Consumers
Organisms that consume secondary consumers or other tertiary consumers
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Theory of Island biogeography
A field that studies species richness and diversification in isolated communities; oceanic island, and also other isolated ecosystems.
123
Thermocline
A layers in a large body of water, such as a lake, that sharply separates regions differing in temperature, so that temperature gradient across the layer is abrupt.
124
transpiration
the act or process of transpiring
125
trophic level
one of the feeding levels in a food chain
126
tropical rainforest
a biome characterized by abundant rain, poor soil quality, and tall trees with few lower limbs, vines, epiphytes, and plants adapted to low light intensity
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Tundra
A biome characterized by very low precipitation, permafrost, and herbaceous plants
128
upwelling
a process in which cold, often nutrient rich, waters from the oceans depths rise to the surface,
129
wetlands
lowland areas, such as marshes or swamps, that are saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife.
