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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Levels of Biological Organization |
1. Cells - Smallest unit of life Eg. Blood cell 2. Tissues - A group of cells Eg. Muscle cell 3. Organs - A group of tissues that work together Eg. Heart 4. Organ System - A group of organs Eg. Circulatory system 5. Organism or Individual - A living thing Eg. Mouse, amoeba 6. Population - A group of the same species living together Eg. Deer 7. Community - Made up of several populations Eg. Mice, deer, grass 8. Biome - A large area with its own climate and powerful type of vegetation (made up of communities) Eg. Tundra 9. Biosphere - Region of earth which supports life (made of biomes) |
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Food Chain and Food Web |
Food Chain - Feeding sequence showing flow of energy Food Web - Many interacting feeding sequences showing flow of energy |
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Ecosystem |
Unit of biosphere with organism interacting with environment |
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Niche |
Interactions of living things with their surroundings |
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Trophic Level |
Feeding level of an organism |
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Scavengers and Decomposers |
Scavengers - Large organisms that consume dead organisms Eg. Vultures Decomposers - Small organisms that break down dead organisms and wasteEg. Fungi |
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The Earth's Spheres |
Atmosphere - Air mass around the earth Lithosphere - Solid part of Earth surface Hydrosphere
- Water covering the Earth
Biosphere - Layer of planet with life
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Ecological Pyramids Pyramid of numbers |
Area of each box proportional to the number of individuals at that trophic level |
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Ecological Pyramids Pyramid of biomass |
The total mass of organisms at each trophic level |
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Ecological Pyramids Pyramid of energy |
Food energy at each trophic level |
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Laws of Thermodynamics |
- 1st: Energy is not created or destroyed, but changes form - 2nd: Energy tends to become more random (e.g. thermal/heat) |
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Energy Flow in an Ecosystem |
- Sun provides energy for all life - About 70% of light energy from the sun is converted to heat (infrared) energy by hydrosphere and lithosphere - Light energy used for photosynthesis by plants |
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Photosynthesis |
- Light energy is used to make energy-rich sugars Word equation - Carbon dioxide + Water —> Sugar + Oxygen Chemical equation - CO2 + H2O —> C6H12O6 + O2 |
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Cellular Respiration |
- Food is used for energy in plants Word equation Sugar + Oxygen —> Carbon dioxide + Water Chemical equation C6H12O6 + O2 —> CO2 + H2O |
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Abiotic Factors that Affect an Ecosystem Light |
A) Intensity - Plants need certain amount of light for photosynthesis - Saturation intensity: maximum light needed, low in moss, high in sunflower B) Duration - Plants: Photoperiod —> Some plants need lots of light others less - Animals: Controls migration, hibernation, sleep patterns, mating C) Quality - Red and blue light needed for photosynthesis |
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Abiotic Factors that Affect an Ecosystem Temperature |
Plants - Optimum temperature around 30 C - Temperature affects: - Germination (opening of seeds) - Fruit/flower growth - Dormancy in winter |
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Abiotic Factors that Affect an Ecosystem Wind |
Good effects: - Carries plant seeds, pollen, spores, cools Bad effects: - Soil erosion, storm damage, evaporation |
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Habitat |
Space an organism lives in |
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Producers and Consumers |
Producers (Autotrophs) - Makes food from abiotic environment - Self Feeders Consumers (Heterotrophs) - Gets food from biotic environment - Other feeders |
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Primary Consumer and Top Consumer |
Primary Consumer - Trophic level of herbivore Top Consumer - Trophic Level not consumed by others |
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Limits on a Population Biotic Potential |
Maximum population size that can be maintained |
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Limits on a Population Factors that Affect Biotic Potential |
1. Birth potential: # of offspring per birth 2. Capacity for Survival: # of offspring that reaches reproductive age 3. Procreation: # of times a year an organism can reproduce 4. Length of reproductive life: # of years an organism can reproduce for |
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Limits on a Population Environmental Resistance |
Factors decreasing population size |
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Limits on a Population Factors that Control Population Size |
Abiotic - Natural disasters - Chemical pollution - Temperature - Light Biotic - Disease - Predators - Deforestation |
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Limits on a Population Density Dependent and Independent Factors |
Dependant factors - Competition - Predation - Food shortages Independant - Flood - Fire - Drought |
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Zones of Lakes Littoral Zone |
- By shore - Warm - Plants rooted - Lots of light - High oxygen - Lots of organisms |
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Zones of Lakes Limnetic Zone |
- Too deep for plants to root - Moderate temperature - Moderate oxygen - Lots of light - Lots of plankton |
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Zones of Lakes Profundal Zone |
- Cold - Little plant life - Low oxygen - As detritus falls, bacteria uses oxygen to decompose |
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Types of Lakes Oligotrophic |
- Deep - Clear - Cold - Few organisms and nutrients - High oxygen - Eg. Lake Superior |
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Types of Lakes Eutrophic |
- Shallow - Cloudy - Warm - Many organisms and nutrients - Low oxygen - Eg. Lake Erie |
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Eutrophication |
- Build up in nutrients - Life in oligotrophic lake changing into eutrophic lake |
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Human Effects on Lake Ecosystem |
- Commercial fishing - Garbage - Oil spills - Replace natural vegetation - Draining wetlands - Degrading to create deep water for boats |
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Biodiversity |
- Large variety in living things - A greater variety in a food web means greater stability in an ecosystem because it indicates ecosystem is healthy enough to support a variety of species |
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Sustainability |
Fulfilling the needs of the present without degrading the environment so future generations can’t do the same |
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Invasive Species |
- A non-native species brought by purpose or accident to an ecosystem by humans - Eg. Carp |
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Threats to Biodiversity |
- Habitat destruction - Water pollution - Global climate change - Invasive species - Toxins |
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Pests |
- Organisms that people consider harmful - Eg. insects, rodents, weeds |
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Pesticides |
- Insecticides —> Kills insects - Herbicides —> Kills weeds - Fungicides —> Kills molds and fungi - Bactericides —> Kills bacteria |
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Classifications of Species at Risk |
Extinct - Species no longer exists Extirpated - Species no longer exists in a specific area Endangered - Reduced in numbers Threatened - Likely to become endangered if factors risking it’s survival aren’t changed Special Concern - May become threatened or endangered because of combination of factors |
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Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification/Bioamplification |
Bioaccumulation - Build up of toxins inside an organism Biomagnification/Bioamplification - Increase in toxin in organisms with each step of the food chain |
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Toxins / Poisons |
DDT: Insecticide - No serious effect on humans - Results in bird eggshells being very fragile PCB: Transformer coolant - Brain defects, cancer PAH: Petroleum by-product - Cancer Heavy Metal: Pb, Zn, Cu, Hg - Mining by-product - Harm nervous system and reproduction |
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Composition of Soil |
- Minerals - Air - Water - Organic matter |
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Soil Layers |
Litter - O - Uppermost layer Dead + decaying leaves and grass Topsoil - A - Below litter - Small particles + humus (decayed materials) Subsoil - B - Many stones - Low organic matter - High minerals Bedrock - C - Rock under soil |
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Weathering |
Rocks get broken apart by wind, glaciers, frost, etc. |
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Soil and Water Surface Water Ground Water |
Soil and Water - Water helps hold the soil in place Surface Water - Precipitation that collects above ground Ground Water - Sits on bedrock |
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Percolation Leaching |
Percolation - Process where water filters through soil Leaching - Nutrients and minerals are drawn down through soil as water is percolating |
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Factors of pH in Soil |
- Nature of rock from which soil was formed - Type of plants that grow and die in soil - Rain of snow that falls |
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Carbon Cycle |
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Water Cycle |
Absorption: - Plants absorb water through their roots Evaporation: - Water vapour evaporates from bodies of water Percolation: - Water is pulled through the soil by gravity Perspiration: - Water is lost through the bodies of animals Precipitation: - Water condenses and falls from clouds Respiration: - Animals lose water as they breathe Runoff/Leaching: - Water drains into bodies of water dissolved material lost by leaching Transpiration: - Water is lost through evaporation from plants |
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Nitrogen Cycle |
Absorption: - Plants absorb nitrates as nutrients Death and Decay: - Animal dies or urinates ammonia Death and Decay: - Plant dies Denitrification: - Bacteria turns nitrates into nitrogen gas Food Chain: - Animal eats plants containing proteins Lightning and Nitrogen Fixing: - Lightning and bacteria fixed into NO3 Nitrogen Fixing: - Bacteria turn nitrites into nitrates Transformation: - Bacteria turns ammonia into nitrites
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