Unit 2 Vocab Flashcards
(36 cards)
Producer/Autotroph
Uses energy of the sun to produce usable forms of energy
Photosynthesis
Process by which producers use solar energy to convert CO2 and water into glucose
Cellular Respiration
Process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds
-animal eats a producer and gets its energy
Consumer/Heterotroph
Organism that can’t photosynthesize and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms
Food Web
A complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels
Limiting Nutrient
A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients
Nitrogen Fixation
When an organism converts nitrogen gas into ammonia
Algal Bloom
A rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway
Disturbance
An event caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition
Resilience
The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance
Coriolis Effect
The deflection of an objects path due to the rotation of earth
-contributes to weather patterns such as hurricanes
Rain Shadow
Region with dry conditions found on the leeward side (blocked from coast by mountains) of a mountain range bc humid winds cause precipitation on windward side
Upwelling
Upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents
Permafrost
A solid, permanently frozen layer of soil
-tundra
Littoral Zone
Shallow zone in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow
Coral Bleaching
When the algae living inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white
Photic Zone
Upper layer of the ocean water that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis
Aphotic Zone
Deeper layers of ocean that don’t have enough sunlight for photosynthesis
Species Richness
Number of species in a given area
Genotype
Complete set of genes in an individual
-different from phenotype (physical traits of an individual)
GPP/NPP
GPP: total amount of solar energy captured by producers in an ecosystem
NPP: Energy captured by producers - energy producers respire
Biomass
Total mass of all living matter in a specific area
Runnoff
Water that moves across land surface and into streams and rivers
Gene flow
When individuals move from one population to another, thereby altering the genetic composition of the two populations