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Ch. 2 - The Living World
Ecosystem Structure, Energy Flow, Diversity, Ecosystem Changes, & Biogeochemical Cycles
74
Environmental Studies
12th Grade
04/28/2014

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Term
Ecosystems
Definition
made of all the living/unliving components interacting in a specific area at the same time
Term
population
Definition
group of individuals of same species in an area at the same time
Term
community
Definition
multiple populations of dif species in a given area
Term
habitat
Definition
animal's living area; inc, soil, vegetation, water supply, & other factors
Term
keystone species
Definition
species w/ dramatic impact on ecosystem they live in (i.e. beavers, sea otters, wolves, elephants)
Term
niche
Definition
organism's place in the community; habitat use, food consumption, species interactions, shelter
Term
generalists
Definition
have ability to survive in dif environments/situations
Term
specialists
Definition
adapted to specific environment; vulnerable to change
Term
competition
Definition
fighting over the same resources; one has to beat the other; can be between 2+ dif species or same species
Term
mutualistic interactions
Definition
benefiting from one another; no one is harmed in the making of ___; i.e. bees & flowers;
Term
predation (predator/prey relationship)
Definition
eating another species; one benefits, other dies; related to transferring of energy thru trophic levels
Term
parasitism
Definition
organism uses another for food & nutrients without immediately killing it; often the two species evolve relative to each other
Term
herbivory
Definition
eating plants; plants hurt but animals benefit; plants develop thorns, toxins, hairs to discourage eating
Term
commensalism
Definition
one species benefits, the other doesn't care
Term
amensalistic relationships
Definition
one organism harms/inhibits another for no reason/doesn't benefit
Term
biomes
Definition
large ecological areas dominated by particular plant type
Term
aquatic biomes
Definition
categorized by categories such as salinity, temp, nutrients, currents, depth, wave action, animals, and bottom substrate
Term
Tropical Rain Forest
Definition
high yr-round percipitation; warm yr-round; high biodiversity; around equator; acidic soil bc most nutrients within vegetation
Term
Tropical Dry Forest
Definition
low overall rain, but rainy half yr; warm yr-round; adapted to seasonal fluctations; India, Africa, S. America, N. Australia
Term
Temperate Rain Forest
Definition
High rainfall yr-round; moderate rainfall; coniferous trees, mosses, moisture-loving species; Pacific NW (US) & Japan
Term
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Definition
Rainfall even throughout yr; seasonal temps; deciduous broadleaf trees; Europe, E NA, eastern China; fertile soil
Term
Boreal Forest/Taiga
Definition
long winters, short cool summers; moderate rainfall; evergreen forests, moose, lynx; Canada, Russia; many bogs, lakes & poor nutrients in soil
Term
Savanna
Definition
Short rainy season; warm/little seasonal variation; grasslands w/ acacias, zebras, lions; Africa, S America, Australia, India
Term
Chaparral
Definition
seasonal w/ wet winters & dry summers; mild winters & warm summers; evergreen shrubs; CA, Chile, S Aussie, land around Mediterranean Sea; freq. fires
Term
Temperate Grassland/Steppe
Definition
Low precip.; extremely seasonal; mainly grasses; bison, prarie dogs; N/S America, central Asia; cleared for agriculture
Term
Tundra
Definition
low rainfall; cold winters, cool summers; lichens, low vegatation, migratory animals; Artic Russia, Scandinavia, Rockies; short winter days/long summer days; soil permanently frozen
Term
Desert
Definition
minimal rainfall; temps vary dramatically day/night; some bare/no vegetation, kanagroos, rattlesnakes; Africa, AZ & NW Mexico; soil has high saline content
Term
Photosynthesis
Definition
getting energy from sun; key for all animal's survival (except for chemosynthetic organisms); 6CO2+6H2O+light-> C6H12O6+6O2
Term
Chemical Respiration
Definition
process of "burning" carb glucose in presence of O for energy
Term
food webs
Definition
models of overlapping food chains; represents complex flow from producers to consumers to decomposers in an ecosystem
Term
food chain
Definition
simple layer of energy flow from producer to various consumers
Term
autotrophs
Definition
producers; convert sunlight to energy
Term
consumer
Definition
herbivores (primary consumers); omnivores (primary/secondary/teriary consumer); carnivore (secondary/tertiary); convert stored energy in plants; ocean producers might have less producers, but otherwise normal dist.
Term
ecological pyramid
Definition
diagram that shows loss of energy in each level trophic level
Term
trophic level
Definition
layer that an organism occupies (consumer/producer/decomposer); 90% of energy lost through transfer of this
Term
ecosystem diversity
Definition
variety of ecosystems in specific area; low: large prarie land; high: forest w/ dif tree species
Term
species diversity
Definition
number/variety of a species within a community
Term
species richness
Definition
number of species in an area
Term
relative abundance
Definition
number of each species in comparison to the others
Term
genetic diversity
Definition
variation of heritable DNA amongst a species' individuals
Term
biodiversity
Definition
total of all species in a given area at a specific time; viewed by ecosystems, species, genetics; not evenly distr. bc of factors like climate/altitude/topography
Term
latitudinal gradient
Definition
the higher the latitude, the less animals living in areas
Term
evolution
Definition
variation in genetic makeup of population of organisms through generations; takes place over many gens, randomly or nat'l seletion
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
genetic traits strengthen an organism's chance of survival & reproduction are passed on to future gens
Term
adaptive traits
Definition
successful evolutions
Term
mutations
Definition
accidental evolution; may or may not be successful (i.e. albinoism - not; humans walking - did)
Term
artificial selection
Definition
humans impact which traits are selected; dog/cat/horse/cow/pig/etc breeds
Term
stabilizing selection
Definition
characteristics are moderate and either side of characteristic is deadly (beak too long/short to reach pollen)
Term
Disruptive selection
Definition
discriminates against individuals w/ characteristics at extremes; evolution occurs with either extreme dominating population (long or short beaks, but no medium)
Term
directional selection
Definition
favors one extreme, so the other extreme/average fade away
Term
sympatric speciation
Definition
similar organisms live in the same place, but have different jobs
Term
allopatric speciation
Definition
species seperated physically and evolve differently
Term
ecosystem services
Definition
what an ecosystem does to support life on Earth
Term
extinction
Definition
everyone dies
Term
extiration
Definition
everyone dies - but only in one place
Term
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Definition
keeps US gov't/private citizens from doing anything to affect endangered species & their habitat
Term
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Definition
bans transportation of endangered species' body parts internationally
Term
background extinction rate
Definition
everyone dies, but gradually over time
Term
mass extinction rate
Definition
everyone dies at practically the same time; 5 known events
Term
primary ecological succession
Definition
starts with bare rock w/ no soil or life
Term
secondary ecological succession
Definition
re-growth of an area after an event has wiped out prior community; still soil and life
Term
pioneer species
Definition
organisms that start ecological succession
Term
biogeochemical cycles
Definition
movement of nutrients through ecosystems
Term
reservoir/sink
Definition
nutrient storage
Term
carbon
Definition
exists in living organisms, decomposing components of ecosystems, abiotic environmental factors; soluble in water
Term
carbon cycle
Definition
moves through animals when they consume organisms; released into atmos during cellular respiration & decomposition
Term
carbon reservoirs
Definition
plants, oceans, sedimentary deposits (carbonate rocks); coal, gas, crude oil
Term
oxygen cycle
Definition
aids in formation of atmos's ozone; oxidizes rocks and minerals so they aren't in atmos; photosynthesis
Term
nitrogen cycle
Definition
starts as a gas; fixed to soil by lightning or bacteria; creates ammonia (becomes ammonium, water-soluble ion), sometimes further converted by other bacteria to convert into __O3; taken in by plants; decomposers process it and return it to soil; de____ return it to air
Term
"fixing" nitrogen
Definition
lightning or nitrogen-fixing bacteria; bacteria live in soil and in nodules on roots of legumes
Term
nitrification
Definition
converting ammonium to nitrite (NO2-) ions then nitrate ions (NO3-) by nitrifying bacteria
Term
Haber-Bosch process
Definition
nitrogen fixation process created by humans; has negatively altered nitrogen cycle by doubling amt of nitrogen fixation occuring on Earth, which can lead to eutrophication
Term
phosphorous cycle
Definition
found in soil, rock, sediments; released from rocks through chemical weathering; absorbed from soil into plants; limiting factor for plant growth; can enter water table & create dead zones
Term
sulfur cycle
Definition
released into atmos from rocks thru weathering, volcanic eruptions, and decay of dead organism; reacts w/ oxygen and water; deposited back into soil & water or combines with water and becomes acid rain; absorbed by plants
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