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45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
what is at the core of every organism's interaction with the environment?
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its need for energy to power life's processes.
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what source of energy do organisms use that dont use the sun's energy?
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they rely on the energy stored in inorganic chemical compounds.
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what are autotrophs?
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they are producers that use photosynthesis to make its own plants.
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what do autotrophs do during photosynthesis?
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they use light energy to power the chemical reactions that turn c02 and water into oxygen and carbs
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what is the main producer of land?
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plants
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what is the main producer of the upper layers of the ocean?
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algae
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what is the main producer of tidal flats and salt marshes?
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cyanobacteria
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what is chemosynthesis?
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when organisms use energy to produce carbs.
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where do bacteria that carry out chemosynthesis live?
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in volcanic vents on the deep-ocean floor and hot springs in yellowstone.
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heterotrophs are also called...
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consumers
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plant and animal remains and other dead matter are collecitvely called...
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detritus
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what are herbivores?
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get energy by only eating plants
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what are carnivores?
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heterotroph that eats animals
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what are omnivores?
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eats both plants and animals
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detritivore
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feeds on plants and animal remains and other dead matter
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decomposer
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breaks down organic matter
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how does energy flow through an ecosystem?
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in one direction from the sun to producers then to consumers.
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food chain is..
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where you transfer energy by eating or being eaten
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food web
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network of complex interactions created by relationships among organisms
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what does a food web link together?
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all the foodchains in an ecosystem
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what is a trophic level?
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step in a food chain
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in a food web, what organisms make up the first trophic level?
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producers
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what does a consumer in a food chain depend on for energy?
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the tropic level before it
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what is an ecological pyramid?
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a diagram that shows relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level.
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why is it that only part of the energy stored in one trophic level is passed onto the next level?
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because organisms use much of the energy that they consume for life processes
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what are the four elements that make up over 95 percent of the body in most organisms?
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oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon
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how is the movement of matter through the biosphere different from the flow of energy?
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while energy flows one way through the biosphere, matter is recycled both within and between ecosystems.
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matter moves thruogh an ecosystem in..
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biogeochemical cycles
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what do biogeochemical cycles connect?
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they connect chemical, biological, and chemical aspects of the biosphere.
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water can enter the atmosphere by evaporating from the leaves of plants in the process of..
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transpiration
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what three processes are involved in the water cycle?
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precipitation, evaporation, and runoff.
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what are nutrients?
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chemical substances that an organism needs to survive
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what are three nutrient cycles that play important roles in the biosphere?
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carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous
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why is carbon important to living systems?
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it forms your bones, rocks, and part of the atmosphere and keeps plants alive.
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in what process do plants use carbon dioxide?
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photosynthesis, respiration
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why do all organisms require nitrogen?
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because without nitrogen, you couldnt make aminio acids
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geochemical process
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releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by volcanoes
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some biological procsses are..
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photosynthesis, repiration, decomposition
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what is the main reservoir of nitrogen in the biosphere?
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atmosphere
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what is nitrogen fixation?
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process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
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what is denitrification?
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break down of nitrates back into nitrogen gas
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what role does denitrification play in the nitrogen cycle?
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it releases nitrogen back into the atmosphere
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why is phosphorus essential to living things?
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it makes DNA and RNA
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what is the primary productivity of an ecosystem?
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the rate at which organic matter producers make.
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if a nutrient is in short supply in an ecosystem, how will it affect an organism?
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limits organisms growth
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