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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Biosphere |
The zone around Earth where life can exist |
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Biome |
A large geographical region defined by climate Ex. grassland, deciduous forest and tundra |
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Ecosystem |
Community and its interactions with the abiotic surroundings. These vary in size (forest vs. rotting log) |
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Community |
Populations that live together in a defined area |
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Population |
Group of one species that live in the same area |
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Individual |
One member of a species |
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Ecology |
A study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment in a system |
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Abiotic |
Non-living |
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Biotic |
Living |
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Autotrophs |
Producer: they make their own food by capturing the energy of the sun |
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Heterotrophs |
Consumer: they obtain energy from other organisms |
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Herbivore |
Animals that only eat plants (Rabbits, Giraffe) |
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Carnivore |
Animals that only eat meat (Lions, Wolves) |
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Omnivore |
Animals that eat both plants and meat (Bears, Humans) |
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Detritivore |
Animals that eat dead organisms and waste (Earthworms, Fungi) |
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Scavenger |
Animals that only eat dead organisms (vulture) |
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Decomposers |
They break down organic material. They help recycle the chemical nutrients back into the soil. |
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How much energy goes to supporting life processes? |
90% |
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How many levels are food chains limited to? |
3 or 4 levels |
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Limiting factor |
It is a factor that restricts the size of a certain population |
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Carrying capacity |
The maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain |
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Optimal range |
A range where a organism thrives in |
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Tolerance range |
A range where a organism can still handle |
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Predation |
The preying of one animal on another |
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Mutualism |
Beneficial to both organisms involved |
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Parasitism |
When one organism (parasite) lives on or in a host and feeds on another organism |
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Commensalism |
When one organism benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed |
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Cellular respiration cycle |
Glucose+Oxygen > Carbon Dioxide+Water |
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Photosynthesis cycle |
Carbon Dioxide+Water > Glucose+Oxygen |
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Water cycle |
Evaportaion, condensation, transpiration, precipitation |
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The air contains how much nitrogen gas? |
78% |
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Nitrogen cycle- Nitrogen fixing |
Nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil and water can use nitrogen gas to produce ammonia |
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Nitrogen cycle- Nitrifying |
Nitrifying bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrites and nitrates which can be used by plants |
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Nitrogen cycle- Denitrification |
Denitrifying bacteria convert the nirates into nitrogen gas |
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Terrestrial Ecosystems |
Tundra, boreal, grassland, temperate deciduous forest |
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Aquatic Ecosystems |
Freshwater ecosystems, marine |
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Sustainability |
The ability of populations to continue to live, to interact and to reproduce indefinitely |
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Stewardship |
A way of acting that involves taking personal responsibility for the management and care of something |
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Ecological Footprint |
An estimate of how much land and water is needed to support a person's lifestyle |
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Biological Capacity |
The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorb waste materials generated by humans (measured in hectares) |
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Ecological overshoot |
The amount by which our resource demands exceed the earth's supply |
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Bioindicator |
An indication of the ecosystem's health based on an organism's absence or presence |
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How much dissolved oxygen in water can support alot of life? |
8mg/L |
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Water Quality Indicators |
pH: Acidic or basic (optimum pH levels for fish are 6.5-9) |
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Eutrophication |
-Fertilizer from homes/farms gets into lakes and rivers through runoff -Algae thrives on the nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) from fertilizers > algae blooms -Algae blooms block sunlight and other plants die > no photosynthesis > less oxygen > other organisms die |
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Bioaccumulation |
The gradual build-up of chemicals in an individual organism's body |
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Biomagnification |
The increase in concentration of a harmful substance at each link in the food chain as one animals eats many contaminated animals |
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Anthropogenic |
Human caused |
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Baseline |
It is a point of reference against which significant change can be measured |
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Primary/Secondary Succesion |
Primary: occurs in an area lifeless area Secondary: occurs in an area which has been previously/currently inhabited |
