Biospheres to Ecosystems Vocabulary

Flashcards for vocabulary related to Biospheres to Ecosystems

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

Ecosystem

Consists of all the organisms that live in a particular place, including their physical environment.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases that surrounds Earth, consisting mainly of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

Lithosphere

The solid, rocky crust of the Earth, made up of inorganic compounds and minerals.

Hydrosphere

Includes all the water found on Earth, such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and moisture in the air.

Biome

A particular physical environment that usually extends over a large geographical area, with a certain climate supporting a characteristic group of plants and animals.

Terrestrial Biome

Terrestrial biomes are land-based, defined by temperature, rainfall, and humidity.

Aquatic Biome

Aquatic biomes are water-based, characterized by salinity, temperature, and nutrient levels.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living factors that influence the environment, such as climate and soil.

Biotic Factors

Factors that arise from the activities of living organisms, such as predation and competition.

Community

A group of different plant and animal populations living and interacting in a particular place.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.

Aspect

The direction in which an area faces in relation to the direction of the sun.

Soil pH

The measure of how acid or alkaline the water in the soil is.

Humus

The organic component of soils formed by the breakdown of dead plants and animals.

Temperature

How hot or cold an area is, affecting the distribution of organisms due to its effect on biological processes.

Producers

Plants that make their own food through photosynthesis.

Consumers

Organisms that cannot make their own food and must eat other organisms for energy.

Primary Consumers

Animals that eat plants (herbivores).

Secondary Consumers

Animals that eat other animals (carnivores).

Tertiary Consumers

Large carnivores that feed on smaller carnivores and herbivores.

Decomposers

Organisms that feed on dead and decaying matter, breaking down organic material and releasing nutrients back into the soil.

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain or food web, representing the flow of energy.

Ecological Pyramids

Diagrams used to illustrate the number of organisms, biomass, or energy at each trophic level.

Biomass

The total amount of living tissue in a particular trophic level.

Nutrient Cycling

The movement of nutrients from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another.

Water Cycle

The circulation of water between the ocean, atmosphere, and land.

Conservation

The management of human use of the biosphere to produce sustainable benefits for the increasing human population.

Ecotourism

A type of tourism to natural areas that conserves the environment and supports local communities.