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Chapter 4
summer vocab
55
Environmental Studies
11th Grade
07/15/2008

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Term

Ecology

Definition

Study of the interaction of living organisms with one another and with their nonliving environmrnt of matter and energy; study of the structure and functions of nature.

Term
Organism
Definition
Any form of life
Term
Eukaryotic Organism
Definition

a cell containing a nucleus, a region of genetic material surrounded by a membrane. Membranes also enclosed by saeveral internal parts.

Term
Prokarytotic organism
Definition
Cell that does not have a nucleus and internal parts are not enclosed by a membrane.
Term
Species
Definition

Group of organusms that resemble one another in appearence, behavior, chemical makeup and proccesses, and genetic struce.

Term
Asexual reproduction
Definition

common in species such as bacteria with only one cell which divides to produce 2 identical cells that are clones or replicas of the original cell

Term
Sexual reproduction
Definition
occurs in organisms that produce offspring by combining sex cells or gametes from both parents.
Term
Population
Definition
consists of a group of interacting individuals of the same species that occupy a specific area at the same time.
Term
Genetic diversity
Definition
Variability in the genetic makeup amoung individuals within a single species.
Term
Habitat
Definition
Place or type of place where an organism or population of organusms lives
Term
Community
Definition
populations of all specias living and interacting in an area at a particular time
Term
Ecosystem
Definition
Communityof different species interacting wiht one another and with the chemical and physical factors making upits nonliving environment
Term
Atmosphere
Definition
Whole mass of air surrounding the earth.
Term
Troposphere
Definition
Innermost layer of the atmosphere. It contains about 75%  of the mass of earth's air and extens about 11 miles above sea level.
Term
Stratosphere
Definition
Second layer of the atmosphere, extending 11-30 miles above the earths surface. It contains small amounts of gaseous ozone qhich filters about 95% of ultra violet radiation emitted by the sun.
Term
Hydrosphere
Definition
The earth's liquid , frozen water, and small amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere
Term
Biosphere
Definition

Zone of the earth where life is found. It consits of parts of the atmosphere, hyrdosphere, and lithosphere where life is found.

Term

Natural Greenhouse effect

Definition
Heat built up in the triosphere because of the pressure of certain gases called green house gases. WIthout this effect, the earth would be cold.
Term
Biomes
Definition
Terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation.
Term
Climate
Definition
Physical properties of the troposhere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period
Term
Aquatic life zones
Definition

Marine and freshwater portions of the biospher.

(ex. lakes, streams, estuares and coastlines)

Term
Ecotone
Definition
Tranditional zone in which one type of ecosystem tends to merge with another ecosystem.
Term
Abiotic
Definition
nonliving
Term
Biotic
Definition
living organisms
Term
Range of tolerance
Definition
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.
Term
Law of tolerance
Definition
Existence, abundance and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by where the levels of one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by the species
Term
Limiting Factor
Definition
Single factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of the population of a species in an ecosystem.
Term
Producers
Definition
Organism that uses solar energy or chemical energy to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from its environment.
Term

Autotrophs

Definition

see producers

Term
Photosynthesis
Definition
Compex process that takes place in cells of green plants. Radiant energy from the sun is used to combine carbon dioxide  and water to produce oxygen  and carbohydrates and other nutrient molecules
Term
Chemosynthesis
Definition
Process in which certain organisms extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without the presence of sunlight.
Term
Consumers
Definition

Organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients by feeding on the tissues of preoducers or of other consumers

Term
Heterotrophes
Definition

see consumer

 

Term
Herbivores
Definition
Plant eaters
Term
Primary consumers
Definition

Organism that feeds on all or part of plants (herbiovore) or on other producers

Term
Carnivores
Definition
Animal that feeds on other animals
Term
Secondary consumers
Definition
Organism that feeds only on primary consumers
Term
Tertiary consumers
Definition
Animals that feed on animal-eating animals.
Term
Omnivores
Definition
Animal that can use both plants and other animals as food sources
Term
Scavengers
Definition

Organism that feeds on dead organisms that were killed by other organisms or died naturally.

Term

Detritovores

Definition
Consumer organism that feeds on detritus, parts of dead organisms and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms.
Term
Detritus (feeder)
Definition
Parts of dead organisms and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms
Term
Decomposers
Definition
Organisms 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.
Term
Aerobic respiration
Definition

Complex process that occurs in the cells of most living organisms

use oxygen to convert organic nutrients

Term
Anaerobic respiration
Definition

 Breaking down glucose without useing oxygen

 

Term
Genetic Diversity
Definition
Variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species.
Term
Species diversity
Definition
Number of different species and their relative abundances in a given area
Term
Ecological diversity
Definition
Variety of forests, desrts, grasslands, oceans, streams, lakes and other biological communities interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment
Term
Functional diversity
Definition
Biological and chemical process of functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities.
Term
Biomass
Definition

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 exosystem; plant materials and anumal wastes used as fuels

(the dry weight of all organic matter contained in tits organism)

Term
Food web
Definition
Complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships.
Term
Ecological efficiency
Definition

% of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web

Term
Pyramid of energy flow
Definition
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 of the usable energy entering one trophic level is transfered to the organisms at the next trophic level
Term
Gross primary productivity (GPP)
Definition
Rate at which an ecosystem's producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given lenght of time.
Term
Net primary productivity (NPP)
Definition

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 and the rate at which they use some of that energy through cellular repiration.

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