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Chapter 3-4 Ecology Jung BIO H

Terms in this set (63)

Ecology
Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
Biosphere
Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.
Biome
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
Ecosystem
all the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment
Community
an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
Population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
primary producers
the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms
Autotrophs
Organisms that make their own food
Autotrophs
Use Solar Energy to produce carbohydrates
Use inorganic molecules to produce carbohydrates
Make energy available when other organisms eat them
Consumers
organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients
Heterotroph
acquire energy from other organisms
Energy..
flows through the ecosystem in a one-way stream, from primary producers in various consumers
Food Chain
A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
Phytoplankton
Floating algae that are primary producers in some aquatic food chains
Food Web
the network of feeding relationships
Zooplankton
small free-floating animals that form part of plankton
Trophic Levels
levels of nourishment in a food chain
Pyramid of energy
A pyramid that shows the total amount of energy available at each trophic level of a food chain or food web.
10%
Only ____ of the energy in each trophic level pass through the next level because only the energy that was stored in the organism passes to the next trophic level. (Pyramid of energy)
grow / cellular / homeostasis
Most of the energy is used to _______, carry out ____________ activities and maintain __________. (Pramid of Energy)
Pyramid of Biomass
A pyramid that illustrates the total mass of all the organisms in a trophic level.
Biomass
total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers
shows the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level
Matter
_______ is recycled within and between ecosystems.
Biogeochemical cycle
Elements move from an abiotic portion of the environment such as the atmosphere, into living things, and back again.
Photosynthesis
autotrophic organisms use CO2 and convert it into organic compounds
Cellular Respiration
organisms break down organic compounds and release CO2 in to the atmosphere
Combustion
humans burn fossil fuels to release CO2
Decomposition
release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere after organic compounds are broken down.
Amino acids / nucleic acid
Nitrogen is need to make ______ and ________(DNA/RNA)
78%
_____ of the atmosphere of the Earth is Nitrogen Gas.
Carnivore
An organism that obtains energy by eating animals
Herbivore
An organism that obtains energy by eating only plants
Omnivores
An organism that eats both plants and animals
Detritivore
An organism that eats dead organic matter
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
Scavenger
An organism that consumes the carcasses of other animals
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
Combustion
Decomposition
What are the 4 ways Carbon moves through the ecosystem?
Nitrogen Fixtation
Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
Ammonification
decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia
Nitrification
ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO3-) and (NO2-)
Denitrification
process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas
Eutrophication
excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water that causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
Algas Bloom
sudden increase in to amount of algae due to eutrophication
Primary Productivity
rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem
angle
The ____ of the sun hitting the earth is a major factor in climate
Convection- hot air rising, cold air falling
Wind is driven by ______
Biotic Factors
Biological influences on an organism within an ecosystem
Abiotic Factors
Nonliving components of environment.
Niche
Full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions
Competition
A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource
Predation
An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.
Symbiosis
relationship in which two species live closely together
Mutualism
both organisms benefit
Commensalism
A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
Parasitism
One organism benefits and the other is harmed
Ecological Succession
series of gradual changes that occur in a community over time
Primary Succession
succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists
Pioneer Species
The first species to populate an area
Climax Community
Stable collection of organisms in a area
Secondary Succession
a disturbance in the ecosystem; a community is replaced by another
Succession in a Marine Ecosystem
1987: Found Unusual Community living on a whale carcass
Stage 1: Arrival of whale carcass attracts many scavengers and decomposers
Stage 2: Tissue is gone
Stage 3: Skeletal remains only
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