Ch 4: The Inhabitants Of Planet Earth And Their Relationships

Front 1

allopatric speciation

Back 1

a mode of speciation introduced when the ancestral population becomes segreated by a geographic barrier

Front 2

ammonification

Back 2

the production of ammonia or ammonium compounds in the decompostition of organic matter, especially through the action of bacteria

Front 3

assimiliation

Back 3

the process in which plants absorb ammonion (NH3), ammonia ions (NH4+), and nitrate ions (NO3) through their roots

Front 4

autotroph

Back 4

an organism that obtains organic food molecules without eating other organisms or substances derived from other organisms. Autotrophs use energy fom the sun or from the oxidation of inorganic substances to make organic molecules from inorganic ones

Front 5

bioaccumulation

Back 5

the accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in verious tissues of a living organism

Front 6

biomagnification

Back 6

the process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in each successive link in the food chain

Front 7

biosphere

Back 7

the part of the Earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life

Front 8

carnivore

Back 8

an animal that only consumes other animals

Front 9

chemotrop (chemoautotroph)

Back 9

an organism, such as a bacterium or protozoan, that obtains its nourishment through the oxidation of inorganic chemical compounds, as opposed to photosynthesis

Front 10

climax community

Back 10

a stable, mature community in a successive series that has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment

Front 11

combustion

Back 11

the process of burning

Front 12

community

Back 12

formed from population of different species occupying the same geographic area

Front 13

competitive exclusion

Back 13

the process that occurs when two different species in a region compete and the better adapted species wins

Front 14

consumer

Back 14

an organism that must obtain food energy from secondary sources, for example, by eating plant or animal matter

Front 15

decomposer

Back 15

bacteria or fungi that absorb nutrients from nonliving organic matter like plant material, the wastes of living organisms, and corpses. They convert these materials into inorganic forms

Front 16

denitrification

Back 16

the process by which specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria) convert ammonia to NO3, NO2, and N2 and release it back to the atmosphere

Front 17

detritivore

Back 17

organisms that derive energy from consuming nonliving organic matter

Front 18

ecological succession

Back 18

transition in species compostition of a biological community, often following ecological disturbance of the commmunity; the establishment of a biological community in any area virtually barren of life.

Front 19

ecotones

Back 19

the transitional area where two ecosystems meet

Front 20

ecozones

Back 20

smaller regions within ecosystems that share similar physical features, htey are also known as ecoregions

Front 21

edge effect

Back 21

the condition in which, at ecosystem boundaries, there is greater species diversity and biological density than there is in the heart of ecological communities

Front 22

evaporation

Back 22

to convert or change into a vapor

Front 23

evolution

Back 23

change in the genetic compostition 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

Front 24

evolutionary fitness

Back 24

the probability that the line of descent from an individual with a specific trail will not die out

Front 25

exchange pool

Back 25

a site where a nutrient sits for only a short period of time

Front 26

extinction

Back 26

being extinct or the process of becoming extinct

Front 27

food chain

Back 27

a succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one oganism to another as each consumes a lower member and, in turn, is preyed upon by a higher member

Front 28

food web

Back 28

a complex interrelated food chains in an ecological community

Front 29

fundamental niche

Back 29

the niche an organism would have if there were no competition

Front 30

Gause's Principle

Back 30

stats 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

Front 31

habitat

Back 31

the area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs

Front 32

habitat fragmentation

Back 32

when the size of an organism's natural habitat is reduced or when development occurs that isolates a habitat

Front 33

heterotroph

Back 33

an organism that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition

Front 34

indigenous species

Back 34

species that originate and live, or occur naturally, in an area or environment

Front 35

interspecific competition

Back 35

competition between different species

Front 36

intraspecific competition

Back 36

competition that occurs between members of the same species

Front 37

invasive species

Back 37

an introduced, nonnative species

Front 38

keystone species

Back 38

a species whose very presence contributes to an ecosystem's diversity and whose extinction would consequently lead to the extinction of other forms of life

Front 39

Law of Conservation of Matter

Back 39

states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed

Front 40

Law of Minimum

Back 40

states that living organisms will continue to live, consuming available materials until the supply of materials is exhausted

Front 41

Law of Tolerance

Back 41

describes the degree to which living organisms are capable of tolerating changes in their environment

Front 42

mutualism

Back 42

a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit

Front 43

natural selection

Back 43

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 generations, while those less adapted tend to be eliminated

Front 44

Net Prrimary Productivity (NPP)

Back 44

the amount of energy that plants pass on to the community of herbivores in an ecosystem

Front 45

niche

Back 45

the total sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

Front 46

denitrification

Back 46

the process by which specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria) convert ammonia to NO3, NO2, and N2 and release it back to the atmosphere

Front 47

detritivore

Back 47

organisms that derive energy from consuming nonliving organic matter

Front 48

ecological succession

Back 48

transition in species compostition of a biological community, often following ecological disturbance of the commmunity; the establishment of a biological community in any area virtually barren of life.

Front 49

ecotones

Back 49

the transitional area where two ecosystems meet

Front 50

ecozones

Back 50

smaller regions within ecosystems that share similar physical features, htey are also known as ecoregions

Front 51

edge effect

Back 51

the condition in which, at ecosystem boundaries, there is greater species diversity and biological density than there is in the heart of ecological communities

Front 52

evaporation

Back 52

to convert or change into a vapor

Front 53

evolution

Back 53

change in the genetic compostition 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

Front 54

evolutionary fitness

Back 54

the probability that the line of descent from an individual with a specific trail will not die out

Front 55

exchange pool

Back 55

a site where a nutrient sits for only a short period of time

Front 56

extinction

Back 56

being extinct or the process of becoming extinct

Front 57

food chain

Back 57

a succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one oganism to another as each consumes a lower member and, in turn, is preyed upon by a higher member

Front 58

food web

Back 58

a complex interrelated food chains in an ecological community

Front 59

fundamental niche

Back 59

the niche an organism would have if there were no competition

Front 60

Gause's Principle

Back 60

stats 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

Front 61

Gross Primary Productivity

Back 61

the ammount of sugar that the plants produce in photosynthesis, and subtracting from it the amount of energy the plants need for growth, maintenance, repair, and reproduction

Front 62

habitat

Back 62

the area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs

Front 63

habitat fragmentation

Back 63

when the size of an organism's natural habitat is reduced, or when development occurs that isolates a habitat

Front 64

heterotroph

Back 64

an organism that can't synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition

Front 65

indigenous species

Back 65

species that originate and live, or occur naturally, in an area or environment

Front 66

interspecific competition

Back 66

competition between different species

Front 67

intraspecific competition

Back 67

competition that occurs between members of the same species

Front 68

keystone species

Back 68

a species whose very presence contributes to an ecosystem's diversity and whose extinction would consequently lead to the extinction of other forms of life

Front 69

Law of Conservation of Matter

Back 69

states that matter can netiher be created nor destroyed

Front 70

Law of Minimum

Back 70

states that living organisms will continue to live, consming available materials until the supply of materials is exhausted

Front 71

Law of Tolerance

Back 71

describes the degree to which living organisms are capable of tolerating changes in their environment

Front 72

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Back 72

the amount of energy that plants pass on to the community of herbivores in an ecosystem

Front 73

niche

Back 73

the total sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

Front 74

nitrification

Back 74

the process in which soil bacteria convert ammonium (NH4+) to a form that can be used by plants; nitrate, o NO3

Front 75

nitrogen fixation

Back 75

the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes

Front 76

pioneer species

Back 76

organisms in the first stages of succession

Front 77

primary consumers

Back 77

this category includes organisms that consume producers (plants and algae)

Front 78

primary succession

Back 78

when ecological succession begins in a virtually lifeless area, such as the area behind a moving glacier

Front 79

producer

Back 79

an organism that is capable of converting radiant energy or chemical energy into carbohydrates

Front 80

reservoir

Back 80

a place where a large quantity of a resource sits for a long period of time

Front 81

respiration

Back 81

the process in which animals (and plants) breathe and give off carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism

Front 82

residency time

Back 82

the amount of time a resource spends in a reservoir or an exchange pool

Front 83

secondary consumers

Back 83

organisms that consume primary consumers

Front 84

speciation

Back 84

the formation of new species through evolution

Front 85

tertiary consumers

Back 85

organisms that consume secondary consumers or other tertiary consumers

Front 86

transpiration

Back 86

the act or process of transpiring, or releasing water vapor, especially through the stomata of plant tissue or the pores of the skin

Front 87

trophic pyramid

Back 87

the structure obtained if we organize the amount of energy contained in produces and consumers in an ecosystem by kilocalories per quare meter, from largest to smallest