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71 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ecological Niche Definition |
the function of a species serves in its ecosystem |
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Autotroph |
also known as a producer, an organism that uses the sun's energy to make energy-rich food |
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Heterotroph |
also known as a consumer, an organism that gets energy by eating other organsims |
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Carnivores |
Carnivores eat: animals |
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Why are frogs good bioindicators? |
Because of their skin. Their skin absorbs the pollution so if there is something wrong with the frog, there's something wrong with the ecosystem |
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Why are frogs disappearing? (4 examples) |
-Changing |
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4 Spheres |
Atmosphere: the layer of gas surrounding Earth |
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Ecosystem definition |
all of the living organisms and their physical and chemical environment |
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Abiotic factors definition and examples |
the non-living components of an ecosystem (water, temperature, sunlight, etc.) |
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Biotic factors definition and examples |
the living (and remains and features) components of an ecosystem (nests, birds, fish, etc.) |
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Sustainable ecosystem definition |
an ecosystem that is maintained through a natural process |
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Why is it important to be sustainable? (2 examples) |
So we can give our future generations a nice place to live |
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The ultimate source of energy is...... |
the sun |
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What is light and radiant energy converted into and who uses it? |
thermal energy which is used by producers |
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Word formula for photosynthesis |
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Light -> Sugar + Oxygen |
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How are cellular respiration and photosynthesis connected with the process? |
the sugar in the photosynthesis is where the chemical energy is stored, to use this energy, the living things must use a process called cellular respiration |
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Word formula for cellular respiration |
Sugar + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy |
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Food chain definition |
sequence of organisms each feeding on the next, showing how energy is transferred |
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Trophic level definition |
the levels on a food chain to show the amount of energy that is transferred, 10% of energy is passed on to the next organism on a food chain |
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When going up a food chain, what does the TOTAL amount of energy do? |
decreases |
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Population definition |
particular species living in an area |
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Community definition |
many species living in an area |
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Carrying capacity definition |
the maximum population size of a particular species that an ecosystem can sustain |
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Limiting factor definition |
any factor that restricts the size of an ecosystem |
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Abiotic limiting factors example
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access to water |
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Competition definition |
when 2+ organisms require the same resources |
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Predation definition |
when one animal eats another animal |
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Mutualism definiton |
when organisms depend on each other |
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Commensalism definition |
a relationship where one organism benefits and the other organism doesn't benefit or get harmed |
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Parasitism definition |
a relationship where one organism lives off of another
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Evaporation definition |
when sun rays heat up large amounts of water and water vapour rises |
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Condensation definition |
when the water vapour that rises cools and forms clouds |
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Transpiration definition |
when water is released from plants and into the atmosphere
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Precipitation definition |
when the water droplets fall from the clouds |
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Infiltration definition |
downward entry of water into soil/rock |
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Percolation |
slow movement of water through soil/rock |
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How humans have impacted the water cycle? |
Roads and parking lots Overuse Deforestation Global warming |
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How is carbon recycled? |
in gas form |
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Some carbon doesn't get recycled, where does it go? (include temporary ones too) |
fossil fuels and limestone |
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How is carbon added to the atmosphere? |
Volcanoes Erosion Respiration Burning fossil fuels Diffusion |
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How have humans impacted the carbon cycle? |
Deforestation |
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How is Nitrogen "fixed"? |
combined with other elements to make compounds like nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia. |
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Nitrogen is fixed by.... |
lightening legumes |
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How are compounds converted back into nitrogen gas? |
DEnytrifying bacteria converts the compounds back to nitrogen gas and into the atmosphere |
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Humans have impacted nitrogen by... |
fertilizer |
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Biodiversity definition |
the variety of life in an ecosystem |
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Human activities that put biodiversity to risk |
Habitat loss Invasive species Population growth Pollution Over consumption |
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Invasive species definition |
a non-native species that impacts the environment |
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How can a new species enter a new ecosystem? |
trade |
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Invasive species impacts on ecosystems |
competition or feeding on native species |
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Invasive species impacts on economy |
damage to forests and crops |
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Invasive species impacts on tourism |
the species loss will lessen wildlife viewing and fishing which is a fun thing to do for tourists |
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How to control invasive species |
Chemical control |
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Pesticide definition |
a substance used to get rid of pests |
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Why are pesticides used? |
To protect crops |
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Persistent pesticide definition |
a pesticide that doesn't break down |
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Specific pesticide definition |
a pesticide that focuses on a certain pest |
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Bioaccumulation definition
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when pesticides are stored in fatty tissues
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Bioamplification definition |
when pesticides become more concentrated in a food web |
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Agroecosystem definition |
an agricultural/man made ecosystem |
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Monoculture definiton |
one crop in an area |
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Natural ecosystem and agroecosystem differences |
NATURAL: -man made |
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Are agroecosystems sustainable? |
no, they require humans to maintain it and even then they can make it worse |
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Environmental impacts on using fertilizer |
Runoff |
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Urban ecosystem and natural ecosystems differences |
URBAN: -abundance of plants |
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Acid precipitation definition |
combination of certain chemicals in the air with water vapour |
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Effects on aquatic ecosystems with acid precipitation |
species decline
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Effects on terrestrial ecosystems with acid precipitation |
changes the soil by minimizing nutrients |
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Effects on humans with acid precipitation |
creates respiratory problems and speeds up corrosionE |
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Eutrophication occurs when... |
fertilizer and phosphates enter an aquatic ecosystem |
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Is eutrophication a bad thing? |
yes. An algae bloom occurs because of the aquatic plants creating the algae from the overdoes of nutrients. The decomposers then eat the decaying plants and overpopulate, because of the overpopulation, the oxygen level decreases causing animals and plants to die. That creates a "dead" ecosystem |
