Biology Exam Review: Ecosystems, Energy Flow, and Cycles

These flashcards cover key concepts related to ecosystems, energy flow, and biochemical cycles based on the lecture notes.

Cryptic species

Species that look almost identical but are genetically distinct.

Biosphere

All places on Earth where life exists.

Ecosystem

A geographic area where organisms and their non-living environment interact.

Thermodynamics

The study of energy transformations; the first law states energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Photosynthesis

The process in which living organisms convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Cellular respiration

The process by which organisms release energy from glucose to carry out life processes.

Trophic level

An organism's position in a food chain, denoting its feeding relationships.

Bioaccumulation

The build-up of non-degradable pollutants within organisms over time.

Biomagnification

The increasing concentration of non-degradable pollutants along trophic levels.

Net primary productivity (NPP)

The rate at which plants produce biomass after accounting for energy used in respiration.

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

The total amount of photosynthesis conducted by plants before respiration.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances using sunlight or chemicals.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and obtain energy by consuming others.

Secondary productivity

The rate at which energy consumed is converted into new biomass in consumers.

Entropy

A measure of disorder in a system, reflecting energy transformation efficiency.

Biogeochemical cycles

The movement and recycling of chemical materials and nutrients between Earth's spheres.

Carbon cycle

The continuous availability of carbon to living organisms in an ecosystem.

Nitrogen cycle

The cycle through which nitrogen moves between inorganic and organic stores, vital for DNA formation.

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients causing algal blooms that reduce oxygen levels and harm aquatic life.

Haber process

An industrial method that converts nitrogen and hydrogen gas into ammonia.

Climate

The average state of the atmosphere over a long period, typically about 30 years.

Biome

A group of comparable ecosystems that have developed in similar climatic conditions.

Zonation

Orderly changes in community composition along an environmental gradient.

Succession

The process of community change over time, which includes pioneer communities and climax communities.

Primary succession

Succession that starts from bare rock with no previous community.

Secondary succession

Succession that occurs in previously populated areas that have been disturbed.