Demography and Nutrient Availability in Ecosystems

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to nutrient availability, environmental factors, and the physiological responses of plants.

Essential Inorganic Nutrients

Chemical elements such as N (nitrogen) and P (phosphorus) that are vital for the growth and development of organisms.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

Limiting Factors

Environmental conditions that limit the growth, abundance, or distribution of organisms in an ecosystem.

Tension-Cohesion Theory

Explains how water rises through plants against gravity due to cohesion between water molecules and adhesion to plant tissues.

pH

A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, which can affect the availability of essential nutrients in water and soils.

Transpiration

The process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, especially from leaves.

Osmosis

The movement of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration.

Active Uptake

The process by which plant roots absorb nutrients against a concentration gradient, requiring energy.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

A gas that plants use during photosynthesis, which must be absorbed from the atmosphere through stomata.

Root Growth Response

How plants adjust their energy allocation towards root systems in response to scarcity of water or nutrients.