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117 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abiotic
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Nonliving.
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absolute humidity
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Amount of water vapor found in a certain mass of air (usually expressed as grams of water per kilogram of air).--Miller
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aerobic respiration
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Complex process that occurs in the cells of most living organisms, in which nutrient organic molecules such as glucose (C6H12O6) combine with oxygen (O2) and produce carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and energy.--Miller
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anaerobic respiration
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Form of cellular respiration in which some decomposers get the energy they need through the breakdown of glucose (or other nutrients) in the absence of oxygen.--Miller
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aquatic life zone
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Marine and freshwater portions of the ecosphere. Examples include freshwater life zones (such as lakes and streams) and ocean or marine life zones (such as estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, and the deep ocean).--Miller
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asexual reproduction
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Reproduction in which a mother cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells that are clones of the mother cell. This type of reproduction is common in single-celled organisms.--Miller
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atmosphere
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The whole mass of air surrounding the earth.--Miller
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biodiversity
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Variety of different species (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals within each species (genetic diversity), variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity), and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities (functional diversity).--Miller
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biogeochemical cycle
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Natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the nonliving environment to living organisms and then back to the nonliving environment. Examples are the carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrologic cycles.--Miller
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biomass
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Organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem; plant materials and animal wastes used as fuel.--Miller
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biome
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Terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation. Examples are various types of deserts, grasslands, and forests.--Miller
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biosphere
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Zone of earth where life is found. It consists of parts of the atmosphere (the troposphere), hydrosphere (mostly surface water and groundwater), and lithosphere (mostly soil and surface rocks and sediments on the bottoms of oceans and other bodies of water) where life is found. Also called the ecosphere.--Miller
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biotic
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Living organisms make up the biotic parts of ecosystems.--Miller
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carbon cycle
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Cyclic movement of carbon in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.--Miller
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carnivore
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Animal that feeds on other animals.--Miller
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cell
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Smallest living unit of an organism. Each cell is encased in an outer membrane or wall and contains genetic material (DNA) and other parts to perform its life function. Organisms such as bacteria consist of only one cell, but most of the organisms we are familiar with contain many cells.--Miller
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chemosynthesis
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Process in which certain organisms (mostly specialized bacteria) extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without the presence of sunlight.--Miller
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climate
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Physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period (at least 30 years). The two main factors determining an areaUs climate are temperature, with its seasonal variations, and the amount and distribution of precipitation.--Miller
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community
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Populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time.--Miller
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condensation nuclei
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Tiny particles on which droplets of water vapor can collect.--Miller
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consumer
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Organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients it needs and gets its organic nutrients by feeding on the tissues of producers or of other consumers; generally divided into primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), tertiary (higher-level) consumers, omnivores, and detritivores (decomposers and detritus feeders). In economics, one who uses economic goods.--Miller
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decomposer
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Organism that digests parts of dead organisms and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms by breaking down the complex organic molecules in those materials into simpler inorganic compounds and then absorbing the soluble nutrients. Producers return most of these chemicals to the soil and water for reuse. Decomposers consist of various bacteria and fungi.--Miller
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detritivore
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Consumer organism that feeds on detritus, parts of dead organisms, and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms. The two principal types are detritus feeders and decomposers.--Miller
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detritus
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Parts of dead organisms and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms.--Miller
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detritus feeder
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Organism that extracts nutrients from fragments of dead organisms and their cast-off parts and organic wastes. Examples are earthworms, termites, and crabs.--Miller
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dew point
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Temperature at which condensation occurs for a given amount of water vapor.--Miller
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dissolved oxygen (DO) content
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Amount of oxygen gas (O2) dissolved in a given volume of water at a particular temperature and pressure, often expressed as a concentration in parts of oxygen per million parts of water.--Miller
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ecological diversity
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The variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, oceans, streams, lakes, and other biological communities interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment.--Miller
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ecological efficiency
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Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web.--Miller
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Ecology
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Study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy; study of the structure and functions of nature. (Miller)
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ecosystem
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Community of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up its nonliving environment.--Miller
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ecosystem services
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Natural services or natural capital that support life on the earth and are essential to the quality of human life and the functioning of the worldUs economies.--Miller
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ecotone
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Transitional zone in which one type of ecosystem tends to merge with another ecosystem.--Miller
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eukaryotic cell
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Cell containing a nucleus, a region of genetic material surrounded by a membrane. Membranes also enclose several of the other internal parts found in a eukaryotic cell.--Miller
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evaporation
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Conversion of a liquid into a gas.--Miller
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food chain
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Series of organisms in which each eats or decomposes the preceding one.--Miller
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food web
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Complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships.--Miller
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functional diversity
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Biological and chemical processes or functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities--Miller
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genetic diversity
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Variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species.--Miller
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gross primary productivity (GPP)
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The rate at which an ecosystemUs producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time.--Miller
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habitat
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Place or type of place where an organism or population of organisms lives.--Miller
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herbivore
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Plant-eating organism. Examples are deer, sheep, grasshoppers, and zooplankton.--Miller
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hydrologic cycle
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Biogeochemical cycle that collects, purifies, and distributes the earthUs fixed supply of water from the environment to living organisms and then back to the environment.--Miller
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hydrosphere
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The earth's (1) liquid water (oceans, lakes, other bodies of surface water, and underground water), (2) frozen water (polar ice caps, floating ice caps, and ice in soil, known as permafrost), and (3) small amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere.--Miller
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infiltration
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Downward movement of water through soil.--Miller
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law of tolerance
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The existence, abundance, and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by whether the levels of one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by the species.--Miller
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limiting factor
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Single factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of the population of a species in an ecosystem.
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limiting factor principle
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Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population of a species in an ecosystem, even if all other factors are at or near the optimum range of tolerance for the species.--Miller
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lithosphere
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Outer shell of the earth, composed of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle outside of the asthenosphere; material found in earthUs plates. --Miller
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metabolism
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Ability of a living cell or organism to capture and transform matter and energy from its environment to supply its needs for survival, growth, and reproduction.--Miller
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natural greenhouse effect
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Heat buildup in the troposphere because of the presence of certain gases, called greenhouse gases. Without this effect, the earth would be nearly as cold as Mars, and life as we know it could not exist. There is much evidence that we are enhancing this natural effect by excess additions of greenhouse gases from human activities.--Miller
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net primary productivity (NPP)
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Rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy; equal to the difference between the rate at which the plants in an ecosystem produce useful chemical energy (primary productivity) and the rate at which they use some of that energy through cellular respiration.--Miller
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nitrogen cycle
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Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.--Miller
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nutrient
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Any food or element an organism must take in to live, grow, or reproduce.--Miller
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omnivore
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Animal that can use both plants and other animals as food sources. Examples are pigs, rats, cockroaches, and people.--Miller
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organism
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Any form of life.
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percolation
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Passage of a liquid through the spaces of a porous material such as soil.--Miller
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phosphorus cycle
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Cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.--Miller
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photosynthesis
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Complex process that takes place in cells of green plants. Radiant energy from the sun is used to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to produce oxygen (O2) and carbohydrates (such as glucose, C6H12O6) and other nutrient molecules.
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population
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Group of individual organisms of the same species living within a particular area.--Miller
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precipitation
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Water in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow that falls from the atmosphere onto the land and bodies of water.--Miller
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primary consumer
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Organism that feeds on all or part of plants (herbivore) or on other producers.--Miller
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producer
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Organism that uses solar energy (green plant) or chemical energy (some bacteria) to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from its environment.--Miller
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prokaryotic cell
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Cell that doesn't have a distinct nucleus. Other internal parts are also not enclosed by membranes.--Miller
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pyramid of biomass
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Diagram representing the biomass, or total dry weight of all living organisms, that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or food web.--Miller
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pyramid of energy flow
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Diagram representing the flow of energy through each trophic level in a food chain or food web. With each energy transfer, only a small part (typically 10%) of the usable energy entering one trophic level is transferred to the organisms at the next trophic level.--Miller
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pyramid of numbers
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Diagram representing the number of organisms of a particular type that can be supported at each trophic level from a given input of solar energy at the producer trophic level in a food chain or food web.--Miller
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range of tolerance
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Range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally.--Miller
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relative humidity
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The amount of water vapor in a certain mass of air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount it could hold at that temperature.--Miller
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salinity
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Amount of various salts dissolved in a given volume of water.--Miller
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scavenger
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Organism that feeds on dead organisms that were killed by other organisms or died naturally. Examples are vultures, flies, and crows.--Miller
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secondary consumer
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Organism that feeds only on primary consumers. Most secondary consumers are animals, but some are plants.--Miller
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sexual reproduction
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Reproduction in organisms that produce offspring by combining sex cells or gametes (such as ovum and sperm) from both parents. This produces offspring that have combinations of traits from their parents.--Miller
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species
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Group of organisms that resemble one another in appearance, behavior, chemical makeup and processes, and genetic structure. Organisms that reproduce sexually are classified as members of the same species only if they can actually or potentially interbreed with one another and produce fertile offspring.--Miller
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species diversity
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Number of different species and their relative abundances in a given area.--Miller
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stratosphere
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Second layer of the atmosphere, extending about 17-48 kilometers (11-30 miles) above the earthUs surface. It contains small amounts of gaseous ozone (O3), which filters out about 99% of the incoming harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun.--Miller
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sulfur cycle
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Cyclic movement of sulfur in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.--Miller
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tertiary (higher-level) consumers
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Animals that feed on animal-eating animals. They feed at high trophic levels in food chains and webs. Examples are hawks, lions, bass, and sharks.--Miller
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tolerance limits
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Minimum and maximum limits for physical conditions (such as temperature) and concentrations of chemical substances beyond which no members of a particular species can survive.--Miller
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transpiration
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Process in which water (1) is absorbed by the root systems of plants, (2) moves up through the plants, (3) passes through pores (stomata) in their leaves or other parts, and (4) evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapor.--Miller
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trophic level
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All organisms that are the same number of energy transfers away from the original source of energy (for example, sunlight) that enters an ecosystem. For example, all producers belong to the first trophic level, and all herbivores belong to the second trophic level in a food chain or a food web.--Miller
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troposphere
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Innermost layer of the atmosphere. It contains about 75% of the mass of earthUs air and extends about 17 kilometers (11 miles) above sea level.--Miller
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Microorganisms
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Organisms so small that they can only be seen with the aid of a microscope -- KK
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Taxonomists
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Biologists who specialize in identifying and cataloging earth's species -- KK
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Biological Community
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Populations of all the different species occupying a particular place -- KK
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Cycle of matter
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Earth is closed to significant input of matter from space, so all nutrients must be recycled again and again for life to continue -- KK
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Gravity
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Allows the planet to hold onto its atmosphere and causes downward movement of chemicals -- KK
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Photosynthesis
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The process used by green plants and some bacteria to make compounds such as carbohydrates that keep them alive and feed others -- KK
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Freshwater life zones
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Lake or stream biomes -- KK
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Ocean life zones
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estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, deep ocean -- KK
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Optimum level (range)
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Area with best conditions for survival -- KK
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Autotrophs
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Make their own food from compounds obtained from the environment -- KK
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Phytoplankton
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Dominant producers in open water -- KK
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Heterotrophs
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Get energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms -- KK
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Fermentation
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When oxygen is not used in respiration and produces alcohol or other acids (lactic) -- KK
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Human cultural diversity
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Variety of human cultures (biodiversity) -- KK
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Atmospheric cycle
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nutrient cycle involving the atmosphere -- KK
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Sedimentary cycle
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cycle where earth's crust is the main storehouse, no gaseous phase -- KK
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Runoff
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Downslope surface movement of H20 back to the sea to resume the cycle -- KK
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Surface runoff
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from precipitation falling on land going into lakes and streams -- KK
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Groundwater
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Water stored in the pores and cracks of rocks -- KK
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Aquifer
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Water-laden rock -- KK
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Water table
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Level to which earths crust is filled -- KK
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Global gaseous cycle
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atmospheric cycle on a global level -- KK
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Global warming
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climate change caused by the addition of C02 and other gases in the atmosphere -- KK
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Rhizobium
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Bacteria that live in plant nodules -- KK
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Nitrification
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Ammonia is converted to nitrite to nitrate -- KK
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Assimilation
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Plant roots absorb ammonia, -um, and nitrate ions -- KK
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Ammonification
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turning ammonia into ammonium -- KK
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Denitrification
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breaks down NH4 + NH3 into nitrogen gas -- KK
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Acid deposition
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droplets of HN03 dissolved in rain or snow (aka acid rain) -- KK
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Acid rain
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droplets of HN03 dissolved in rain or snow (aka acid deposition) -- KK
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Field research
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involves going into nature and observing and measuring the structure of ecosystems and what happens in them -- KK
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Remote sensing
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info gathered from broad geographic regions stored in spatial databases -- KK
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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
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info gathered from broad geographic regions stored in spatial databases -- KK
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Laboratory research
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set up, observe and make measurements of model ecosystems under laboratory conditions -- KK
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Systems analysis
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develop mathematical and other models to simulate ecosystems -- KK
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