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AP Environmental Science > Unit 1: The Living World - Ecosystems > Flashcards

Unit 1: The Living World - Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

Ecosystem

A

The interactions between living and nonliving components

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2
Q

Characteristics of ecosystems

A

○ Some have well-defined boundaries, while others do not
* The biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem provide the boundaries that distinguish one ecosystem from another
* Some ecosystems are very small
* Each ecosystems interact with each other through the exchange of energy and matter

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3
Q

Biosphere

A

The region on our planet where life resides

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4
Q

Predator

A

Eats other organisms

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5
Q

Prey

A

Organisms eaten by other organisms

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6
Q

Symbiosis

A

Living together; a close, long-term interaction between two species in an ecosystem

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7
Q

Mutualism

A

Both organisms benefit

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8
Q

Commensalism

A

One organism benefits, one organism neither benefits nor is harmed

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9
Q

Parasitism

A

One organism benefits and one is harmed

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10
Q

Competition

A

Organisms compete when they seek the same limited resource

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11
Q

Interspecific competition

A

Members of a different species compete for the same resource

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12
Q

Intaspecific competition

A

Members of the same species compete for resources (ex: competing for mates)

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13
Q

Producers/autotrophs

A

Organisms that use the Sun to produce usable energy

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14
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The use of solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (form of potential energy) and oxygen

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15
Q

Cellular respiration

A

A process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds

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16
Q

Aerobic respiration

A

The opposite of photosynthesis, where oxygen and glucose are converted into energy, carbon dioxide, and water

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17
Q

Anaerobic respiration

A

Cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen; does not provide as much energy

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18
Q

Consumers/heterotrophs

A

Organisms incapable of photosynthesis who must obtain their energy by consuming other organisms

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19
Q

Herbivores/primary consumers

A

Consumers that eat producers

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20
Q

Carnivores

A

Consumers that eat other consumers

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21
Q

Secondary consumers

A

Carnivores that eat primary consumers

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22
Q

Tertiary consumers

A

Carnivores that eat secondary consumers

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23
Q

Trophic levels

A

The success of organisms consuming one another

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24
Q

Food chain

A

The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers

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25
Q

Food web

A
  • A complex model of how energy and matter move through trophic levels
  • All species in an ecosystem are connected to one another
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26
Q

Omnivores

A

Organisms that operate at several trophic levels

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27
Q

Scavengers

A

Organisms that consume dead animals

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28
Q

Detritivores

A

Organisms that break down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles

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29
Q

Decomposers

A

The fungi and bacteria that complete the breakdown process by converting organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

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30
Q

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

A
  • A measure of the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time
  • Indicates the total amount of energy captured by producers
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31
Q

Net primary productivity (NPP)

A
  • The energy captured minus the energy respired by producers
  • The greater productivity of an ecosystem, the more primary consumers can be supported
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32
Q

Biomass

A

The total mass of all living matter in a specific area

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33
Q

Standing crop

A

The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time (not the same as productivity)

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34
Q

Ecological efficiency

A
  • The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another
  • 10% average across all ecosystems
35
Q

Trophic pyramid

A

A method of representing the distribution of biomass among trophic levels

36
Q

Biogeochemical cycles

A

The movements of matter within and between ecosystems

37
Q

Hydrologic cycle

A

The movement of water through the biosphere

38
Q

Transpiration

A

The release of water from leaves during photosynthesis

39
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

40
Q

Runoff

A

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

41
Q

Carbon cycle

A

The movement of carbon around the biosphere

42
Q

Photosynthesis and the Carbon Cycle

A
  • When producers photosynthesize, they take in CO2 and incorporate some of the carbon into their tissues
    ○ Some of the carbon is returned as CO2 when organisms respire or die
    • When organisms die, carbon that was part of the live biomass pool becomes part of the dead biomass pool
43
Q

Exchange, Sedimentation, and Burial

A
  • Another portion of the CO2 dissolved into the ocean combines with calcium ions in the water to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
    • A small fraction of the organic carbon in the dead biomass pool is buried and incorporated into ocean sediments before it can decompose into its constituent elements
      ○ This organic matter becomes fossilized and can become fossil fuels
44
Q

Extraction and Combustion

A
  • The extraction of fossil fuels by humans is new, beginning when human society started to rely on coal, oil, and natural gas as energy sources
    ○ Does not alter the carbon cycle
    • Combustion of fossil fuels by humans and the natural combustion of carbon release carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 or into the soil as ash
45
Q

Human Impacts on the Carbon Cycle

A
  • In the absence of human disturbance, the exchange of carbon between Earth’s surface and atmosphere is in a steady state
    • Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have had a major influence on carbon cycling
      ○ Ex: Global warming
      Tree harvesting can also affect the carbon cycle
46
Q

Macronutrients

A

One of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts; nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur

47
Q

Limiting nutrient

A

A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

48
Q

Nitrogen cycle

A

The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere

49
Q

Nitrogen fixation

A
  • The process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of nitrogen that producers can use
  • Biotic and abiotic
50
Q

Nitrification

A

The conversion of ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then intro nitrate (NO3-)

51
Q

Assimilation

A

The process by which organisms incorporate elements into their tissues

52
Q

Mineralization

A

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

53
Q

Ammonification

A

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

54
Q

Denitification

A

The conversion of nitrate and a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide, and eventually, nitrogen gas, which is emitted into the atmosphere

55
Q

Leaching

A

The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater

56
Q

Phosphorus cycle

A

The movement of phosphorus around the biosphere

57
Q

Assimilation and Mineralization in the Phosphorus Cycle

A

Producers on land and in the water take up inorganic phosphate and assimilate the phosphorus into their tissues as organic phosphorus

58
Q

Algal bloom

A

A rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway

59
Q

Hypoxic

A

Low in oxygen

60
Q

Dead zone

A

When oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals

61
Q

Terrestrial biomes

A

Geographical regions that each have a particular combination of average annual temperature and precipitation and contain distinctive plant growth forms that are adapted to that climate

62
Q

Aquatic biomes

A

Biomes categorized by particular combinations of salinity, depth, and water flow

63
Q

Habitat

A

An area where a particular species lives in nature

64
Q

Tundra

A
  • A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation
  • Found in northernmost regions of the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica
  • Permafrost: An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil that prevents deep-rooted trees from growing
65
Q

Boreal forest

A
  • A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons
  • Found between 50 N and 60 N in Europe, Russia, and North America
  • Covered in a thick layer of organic material, but are poor in nutrients
  • Animal species include beavers, brown bears, and wolverines
66
Q

Temperate rainforest

A
  • A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation
  • Found along the west coast of North America from northern California to Alaska, in southern Chile, in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand
  • Animal species include black-tailed deer, Pacific giant salamander, and the Pacific treefrog
67
Q

Temperate seasonal forest

A
  • A biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m (39 inch) of precipitation annually
  • Found in eastern USA, Japan, China, Europe, Chile, and eastern Australia
  • Animal species include white-tailed deer, red foxes, and gray squirrels
68
Q

Woodland/shrubland

A
  • A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters
  • Found on the coast of southern California, in southern America, in southwestern Australia, in southern Africa, and in a large region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
  • Favors the natural occurrence of wildfires
  • Plants are adapted to fires and droughts
  • Animals include the California quail, black-tailed jackrabbit, and the San Joaquin kit fox
69
Q

Temperate grassland

A
  • A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers
  • Found in the Great Plains, in South America, and in central Asia and eastern Europe
  • Fires are common
  • Typical plants include grasses and nonwoody flowering plants
70
Q

Tropical rainforest

A
  • A warm and wet biome found between 20 N and 20 S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation
  • Tropical rainforests contain more biodiversity per hectare than any other terrestrial biome
  • Animal species include jaguars, orangutans, and red-eye treefrogs
71
Q

Tropical seasonal forest/savanna

A
  • A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons
  • Found in Central America, on the Atlantic coast of South America, in southern Asia, in northwestern Australia, and in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Savannas: Relatively open landscapes dominated by grasses and scattered deciduous trees
72
Q

Subtropical desert

A
  • A biome prevailing at approximately 30 N and 30 S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation
  • Includes the Mojave Desert in southwestern USA, the Sahara in Africa, the Arabian Desert of the Middle East, and the Great Victoria Desert of Australia
  • Cacti, euphorbs, and succulent plants are well-adapted to this region
  • Annual plants grow rapidly during periods of rain
73
Q

Streams and rivers

A
  • Characterized by flowing fresh water that may originate from underground springs or as a runoff from rain or melting snow
    • Streams are more narrow, while rivers are wider
    • Most streams and rivers have few plants or algae to act as producers
    • Rapids: Stretches of turbulent waters where water and air are mixed together
      ○ Allows atmospheric oxygen to dissolve into the water for animal species
74
Q

Lakes and ponds

A
  • Contain standing water
    • Littoral zone: The shallow area of soil and water near the shore where algae and emergent plants grow
  • Limnetic zone: A zone of open water in lakes or ponds
    • Profundal zone: A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes
    • Benthic zone: The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean
75
Q

Oligotrophic

A

A lake with a low level of productivity

76
Q

Mesotrophic

A

A lake with a moderate level of productivity

77
Q

Eutrophic

A

A lake with a high level of productivity

78
Q

Freshwater wetlands

A
  • An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
    • Includes swamps, marshes, and bogs
    • One of the most productive biomes on the planet
      ○ Many bird species depend on wetlands during migration or breeding
79
Q

Salt marshes

A
  • Coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides
  • They are marshy because the soil may be composed of deep mud and peat
  • occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes
80
Q

Mangrove swamps

A
  • Coastal wetlands found in tropical and subtropical regions
  • Characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters
  • often found in estuaries
81
Q

Intertidal zones

A
  • The area where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides
  • Sea creatures arrange themselves vertically in the intertidal zone depending on their abilities to compete for space, avoid predators from above and below, and resist drying out
82
Q

Coral reefs

A
  • Made of the calcium carbonate skeletons of corals – small immobile animals closely related to jellyfish
  • Some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth
83
Q

Open ocean

A
  • the area of the ocean outside of coastal areas
  • the largest of all the biomes and consists of many different ecosystems
  • Seaweed is the main plant found
  • Species here are affected by wave and wind activity, pressure, water temperature and prey

AP Environmental Science (5 decks)

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