Unit 1 review Flashcards
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is the interaction of living and non-living things in a specific region
Environment
The environment refers to the entire natural world
Habitat
A habitat is the given environmental conditions that a certain species needs to survive
sybionts
living in close relationship with each other
competitors
fighting over shared resources
mutualism
benefiting both species
symbiosis
living in close proximity with eachother
Tropical rainforest
Average temperature
high
Average precipitation
high
Tundra
Average precipitation high
average temperature
low
Aquatic Biomes are influenced by
Salinity (saltiness level)
Flow
Depth
Biome shifts
If temperature and precipitation patterns change, biome locations can shift
Nitrogen fixation
The process of converting nitrogen gas (N2) into a usable form of nitrogen such as ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3-)
Biologically unavailable nitrogen
Nitrogen in the atmosphere is in a form that is not useable by plants or animals
Nitrogen fixation done by Bacteria
With specialized enzymes that can break apart the strong triple bonds in nitrogen gas
Nitrogen fixation done by fossil fuel combustion
Which creates synthetic nitrate-based fertilizers
Phosphorus cycle
The process by which phosphorus is converted between its various forms in the environment
Key differences between phosphorus cycle and the other three cycles
No gas phase
Phosphorus does not exist in a gas phase, so it does not cycle quickly through the atmosphere
Key differences between phosphorus cycle and the other three cycles
Weathering and erosion
Phosphorus is released from rocks and sediments through weathering and erosion. which are slow processes
Key differences between phosphorus cycle and the other three cycles
Phosphorus is often a limiting nutrient
Plants have all the other nutrients they need to grow, except for phosphorus
Nitrogen fixation done by lightning strikes
Which provide the energy needed to convert nitrogen gas into a useable form
Phosphorus reservoirs
rocks and sediments
Phosphorus is stored in rocks and sediments in the form of phosphate ions
Phosphorus reservoirs
water
Phosphorus is carried away by runoff or wind, transporting sediments from one location to another
Water cycle
The water cycle is the process by which water is converted between its various forms in the environment
Water cycle Driven by energy from the sun
The water cycle is driven by the energy from the sun, which evaporates water from the surface