The Biosphere- Chapter 3
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30 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Ecology | scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms in their environments |
| Ernst Haeckel | German biologist- named ecology |
| species | a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| populations | groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live off the same area |
| communities | groups of different populations that live together in a clearly defined area |
| biome | group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominat communities |
| sunlight | the main energy source for life on earth |
| energy | without the constant input of this- living systems cannot function |
| photosynthetic organisms | organisms that use the sun's energy to make their own food |
| autotroph | organisms that use energy from sunlight or chemicals to make food |
| producer | autotroph; photosyntheitic organisms; make their own food |
| heterotroph | organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food suply |
| consumer | another name for heterotrophs; must consume others for energy |
| herbivore | obtain energy by eating only plants |
| carnivore | eat other animals |
| omnivore | eat both plants and animals |
| detrivore | feed on plant and animal remains and other dead matter |
| decomposer | heterotrophs that break down organic matter |
| food chain | a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten |
| food web | links all food chains in an ecosystem together; complex interaction |
| trophic level | each step in a food chain or food web |
| ecological period | diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or matter contained in each trophic level in a food chain or food web |
| biomass | the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level |
| what organisms need to survive | energy- water- minerals- other life sustaining compunds |
| biogeochemical cycle | elements, chemical compounnds and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another |
| evaporation | process by which water changes from liquid to from an atmospheric gas |
| transpiration | process by which water enters the atmosphere by evaporating from the leaves of plants |
| nitrogen fixation | process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia- done by nitrogen fixing bacteria |
| denitrification | conversions of nitrate into ntrogen gas; this process realeases nitrogen into the atmosphere once again |
| phosphorous | found on land in rock and soil minerals, and in ocean sediments- it is an essential part of both DNA and RNA- has an important cycle to move through the ecosystem |
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