Ecology Final

Front 1

First law of thermodynamics

Back 1

energy is neither created nor destroyed.

Front 2

second law of thermodynamics

Back 2

involves transfer of energy- when energy is transferred or transformed, part of the energy assumes a form that cannot pass on any further

Front 3

exothermic

Back 3

loss of energy from the system

Front 4

endothermic

Back 4

must absorb energy to proceed

Front 5

entropy

Back 5

the transfer of energy to a more random, disorganized state

Front 6

Gross primary productivity

Back 6

the total rate of photosynthesis, or energy assimilated by autotrophs.
affected by the seasons, moisture, nutrients, soil, and age

Front 7

net primary productivity

Back 7

the rate of energy storage as organic matter after respiration.

Front 8

standing crop biomass

Back 8

the amount of accumulated organic matter found in an area at a given time.

Front 9

secondary productivity

Back 9

depends on primary productivity for energy.

Front 10

assimilation of efficiency

Back 10

the ratio of assimilation to ingestion, a measure of the efficiency with which the consumer extracts energy from food.

Front 11

production efficiency

Back 11

ratio of assimilation to ingestion, the measure of the efficiency which the consumer incorporates assimilated energy into secondary production

Front 12

consumption efficiency

Back 12

ratio of ingestion to production, defines the amount of available energy being consumed.

Front 13

trophic efficiency

Back 13

ratio of productivity in a given trophic level with the trophic level upon which it feeds

Front 14

Energy transfer to secondary productivity

Back 14

bc of laws of thermodynamics, you are not very efficient, from each trophic level, you only are able to convert a small percentage of energy. energy is lost within the trophic lvl as a result of respiration, and is lost in transfer btwn trophic lvls

Front 15

Biogeochemical cycle

Back 15

nonliving to living to nonliving cycle.
Gasious (nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide) and sedimentary (soil, rocks, and minerals) are the two many cycles.

Front 16

Carbon cycle

Back 16

global increase->global warming-greenhouse effect, from burning fossil fuels

Front 17

Nitrogen Cycle

Back 17

available by atmospheric deposition and nitrogen fixation (by symbotic bacteria (Rhizobium)). or by cyanobacteria which are nonsymbotic fixers (blue-green algae)
involves ammoniafication, nitrification, and dentrification

Front 18

Leguminous Plants

Back 18

Legume plants are noteworthy for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria known as rhizobia found in root nodules of these plants. The ability to form this symbiosis reduces fertilizer costs for farmers and gardeners who grow legumes, and allows legumes to be used in a crop rotation to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen.

Front 19

The Phosphorous Cycle

Back 19

no significant atmospheric pool. nearly all phosphorous in terrestrial ecosystems comes from weathering of minerals (inorganic). organic phosphate comes from dead organisms (bone, teeth, shells)

Front 20

The Sulfur Cycle

Back 20

Sedimentary and Gaseous. sed from weathering rocks, runoff, and decomposition of om. cycles in gaseous phase. enters atmosphere by combustion of fossil fuels, volcanoes. ect

Front 21

Wetfall dryfall

Back 21

nutrients by rain / nutrients by airborne particles

Front 22

stoichiometry

Back 22

The branch of chemistry dealing with the elements cycling and effects

Front 23

Biomes

Back 23

Whittaker's life zones
-temperature and moisture

Front 24

Convergent Evolution

Back 24

evolution of unrelated species showing similar relationships btwn form and function

Front 25

Tundra (Arctic)

Back 25

Arctic, far north, low temperature, low precipitation, few plants, low slow growth rates,

Front 26

Alpine Tundra

Back 26

Occur in mountains, widely fluctuating temperatures, strong winds, snow, thin apmosphere

Front 27

Taiga (Coniferous Forest)

Back 27

upper hemisphere, cold continental climate, needle-leaf, a lot of snow

Front 28

Deciduous Forest

Back 28

Temperate regions, very complex, broadleaf

Front 29

Steppes

Back 29

Eurasian grasslands

Front 30

pampas

Back 30

southern hemisphere south america grasslands

Front 31

velds

Back 31

southern Africa

Front 32

Llanos

Back 32

tropical grassland plain situated at the east of the Andes in northwestern South America

Front 33

aquatic zones

Back 33

Littoral zone-shallow water
limnetic zone- where light penetrates
profundal zone - where light doesnt penetrate

Front 34

periphyton

Back 34

animals that attach to plants in littoral zone

Front 35

Neuston

Back 35

uses surface tension

Front 36

Dimictic lakes

Back 36

Dimictic lakes are holomictic lakes that mix from top to bottom during two mixing periods each year

Front 37

Monomictic lakes

Back 37

Monomictic lakes are holomictic lakes that mix from top to bottom during one mixing period each year (cold or warm)

Front 38

Polymictic

Back 38

Polymictic lakes are holomictic lakes that are too shallow to develop thermal stratification; thus, their waters can mix from top to bottom throughout the ice-free period

Front 39

meromictic lake

Back 39

A meromictic lake has layers of water which do not intermix (except by wind)

Front 40

eutrophication

Back 40

is an increase in chemical nutrients, either by natural processes, or can happen from fertilizer from a farm unnaturally, form algae blooms. (eutrophy-rich in nutrients)

Front 41

Oligotrophy

Back 41

few nutrients - forms clear fresh water lakes, but with no fish

Front 42

Impoundments - nutrient traps

Back 42

dams trap nutrients from reaching natural point

Front 43

rheotaxis

Back 43

facing current

Front 44

Shredders

Back 44

feed off course particulate organic matter CPOM by scraping

Front 45

Filter feeders

Back 45

fine FPOM

Front 46

stream order

Back 46

at early orders, more animals feed by scraping off CPOM, but by the time it gets to rivers, most filter feed the nutrients

Front 47

neritic

Back 47

water that overlies the continental shelf

Front 48

Major regions of the ocean

Back 48

E M B A H (from top to bottom)

Front 49

coral reefs

Back 49

complex array of symbionts

Front 50

Continental Shelf and Upwelling

Back 50

Nutrients in ocean are limited because of light availability

Front 51

mangroves

Back 51

plants that grow in areas of high degree of salinity (estuarys)

Front 52

sustained yield

Back 52

yield equal to harvest production

Front 53

Swidden agriculture

Back 53

shifting cultivation- forest cut and burned in rotating cycles for farming with best nutrients

Front 54

traditional vs mechanized

Back 54

mexicans use more energy per output of corn than USA, but we use more energy total. accomplished by better seeds, more money in tractors, fertilizer, pesticides

Front 55

Nixon

Back 55

EPA in 1970 because of love canal book about how dioxin is causing stillborn babies

Front 56

Nitrogen Contamination

Back 56

artificial Nitrogen is the main cause of pollution in the ocean and the destruction of coral reefs

Front 57

sustainable agriculture

Back 57

maintaining agriculture production and minimizing negative environmental impacts

Front 58

soil conservation methods: no-till farming -

Back 58

strip cropping, help prevent loss of soil due to erosion

Front 59

reduce pesticide use

Back 59

male frogs have testies and overies bc of a pesticide called Atrazine - in roundup

Front 60

Clear-cutting

Back 60

involves removal of the forest and reversion to an early stage of succession...loss of interior species, but increases diversity

Front 61

Shelterwood

Back 61

removes all trees from an area except for a small number for animals and erosion

Front 62

selection cutting

Back 62

mature single trees or groups of trees scattered through the forest are removed

Front 63

even age thinning

Back 63

new term for clear cutting

Front 64

monoculture

Back 64

1 species of tree

Front 65

Maximum Sustainable Yield

Back 65

max growth in population is at the curves inflection point, so you wanna stop fishing/hunting at inflection

Front 66

Externalities

Back 66

actions of one individual affect another individual's well-being, but costs or benefits are not shown in market

Front 67

environmental economics

Back 67

the study of environmental problems with perspective to analytic tools of economics