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Ernst Haeckel 19th-century scientist, developed the concept of ecology biotic any living or previously living component of an environment abiotic describes the nonliving part of the environment, including water, rocks, light, and temperature ecology the study of systems that include interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment species a group of similar organisms whose members freely interbreed with one another in the wild to produce fertile offspring; members of one species general do not interbreed with other species of organisms population a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time community a natural association that consists of all the populations of different species that live and interact within an area at the same time ecosystem a community and its physical environmental landscape a region that includes several interacting ecosystems biosphere the parts of Earth's atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and soil that contain all living organisms landscape ecology a subdiscipline of ecology that studies sociological processes that operate over large areas atmosphere the gaseous envelope surrounding Earth lithosphere the soil and rock of Earth's crust energy the capacity or ability to do work chemical energy energy stored in the bonds of molecules radiant energy energy that is transmitted as electromagnetic waves solar energy radiant energy from the sun thermal energy the heat that flows form an object with a higher temperature (the heat source) to an object with a lower temperature (the heat sink) mechanical energy energy in the movement of matter electrical energy energy that flows as charged particles kilocalorie kilocalorie the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1˚ C (or 4.184 kilojoules) potential energy stored energy kinetic energy Energy contained in moving objects such as a rock rolling down a hill, the wind blowing through the trees, or water flowing over a dam. thermodynamics the study of energy and its transformations closed energy system energy in system is self-contained & isolated open energy system system exchanges energy with its surroundings 1st law of thermodynamics energy cannot be created or destroyed, although it can change from on form to another 2nd law of thermodynamics States that, with each successive energy transfer or transformation in a system, less energy is available to do work OR entropy (disorder) in a system increase over time entropy a measure of the randomness or disorder of a system photosynthesis the biological process that captures light energy and transforms it in the chemical energy of organic molecules (such as glucose), which are manufactured from carbon dioxide and water. Preformed by plants, algae, and several kinds of bacteria. Compare chemosynthesis. chlorophyll a green pigment that absorbs radiant energy for photosynthesis cellular respiration makes the chemical energy stored in glucose and other food molecules available to the cell for biological work Compare aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration. aerobic respiration the process by which cells use oxygen to break down organic molecules to release energy that can be used for biological work. Compare with anaerobic respiration. anaerobic respiration the process by which cell breakdown organic molecules in the absence of oxygen to release energy that can be use for biological work. Compare aerobic respiration. hydrothermal vent a hot spring on the seafloor where a solution of hot mineral-rich water rises to the surface. Many hydrothermal vents support thriving communities. chemosynthesis the biological process by which certain bacteria take inorganic compounds from their environment and use them to obtain energy and make carbohydrate molecules; light is not required for this process. Compare photosynthesis. High Quality Energy Energy that can be used or converted into something else. Low Quality Energy Energy that is lost or cannot be used again. energy flow the passage of energy in a one-way direction through an ecosystem autotrophs producers: an organism (such as a plant) that manufactures complex organic molecules from simple inorganic substances heterotrophs consumers: an organism that cannot synthesize its own food fro inorganic materials and therefore must use the bodies of other organisms as sources of energy and body-building materials primary consumers The herbivores in an ecosystem; organisms that feed on primary producers (autotrophs) secondary consumers The carnivores in an ecosystem; organisms that feed on primary consumers (herbivores) tertiary consumers Carnivores that eat other Carnivores (secondary consumers) detritivores detritus feeder: an organism (such as a earthworm or crab) that consumes fragments of dead organic matter saprotrophs decomposers: heterotrophs that break down dead organic material and use the decompositions products to supply themselves with energy food chain the successive series of organisms through which energy flows in an ecosystem. Each organism in the series eats or decomposes the preceding organism in the chain. Compare food web. trophic level Step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding status in an ecosystem. food web a representation of the interlocking food chain that connect all organisms in an ecosystem krill tiny, shrimp-like animals that are important in the Antarctic food web ecological pyramid a graphic representation of the relative energy value at each trophic level. Compare pyramid of biomass, pyramid of energy, and pyramid of numbers. pyramid of numbers a graphic representation of the relative energy value at each trophic level. Compare pyramid of biomass, pyramid of energy, and pyramid of numbers. pyramid of biomass an ecological pyramid that illustrates the total biomass (for example the total dry weight of all organisms) at each successive trophic level in an ecosystem, Compare pyramid of biomass, pyramid of energy, and pyramid of numbers. pyramid of energy an ecological pyramid that shows the energy flow through each trophic level in an ecosystem. Compare pyramid of biomass, pyramid of energy, and pyramid of numbers. gross primary productivity (GPP) the total amount of photosynthetic energy that plants capture and assimilate in a given period net primary productivity (NPP) productivity after respiration losses are subtracted What are the most productive ecosystems on land and in the water? The most productive ecosystem on land is the tropical rain forest, and the most productive ecosystem in the water is the coral reef. Consumers An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains; heterotrophs