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Ecosystem

All organisms living in an area with their physical environment (e.g., Oak Forest or coral reef)

Components of Ecosystem

Water, energy, mineral nutrients, oxygen, and living organisms

Abiotic vs

Abiotic = nonliving parts, Biotic = living and once living parts

Organism

Individual living thing

Species

Group of closely related organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring

Population

All members of the same species in the same place at the same time

Community

Various species living in the same place and interacting

Habitat

Place where an organism lives

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population size an environment can sustain

Biosphere Levels

Organism → population → community → ecosystem → biome → biosphere

Biomass

Total mass of living organisms in an ecosystem at a given time

Trophic Levels

Position of an organism in the food chain

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

Organisms in the food chain

Food Chain

Describes energy flow between species in an ecosystem

Food Webs

Show interconnected food chains

Energy Pyramid

Diagram showing energy distribution in trophic levels

Symbiosis

Interaction between different species

Cooperation

Interaction where organisms work together

Competition

Organisms competing for resources

Feedback Loops

Negative stabilizes, positive amplifies changes in a system

Invasive Species

Non-native species causing harm in an ecosystem

Disturbances

Fires, landslides, flooding affecting ecosystems

Ecological Succession

Changing species in a community after disturbance

Biome

Community of plants and animals in an area

Biogeochemical Cycle

Movement of chemical elements through different media

Fossil Fuels

Fuels containing carbon and hydrogen used for energy

Petroleum Refining

Converting crude oil into useful products

Fracking

High-pressure water, sand, and chemicals to extract gas

Horizontal Drilling

Drilling horizontally to extract more gas

Creationism

Young Earth (6,000-10,000 years) vs. Old Earth (4.5 million years)

Evolution

Change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Evolution

A generation to generation change in the proportion of different inherited genes in a population that accounts for all the changes that have transformed life over an immense time.

Theory vs

A theory explains why something happens by pulling together observations, inferences, laws, and hypotheses into coherent explanations, while a law explains how something happens.

Charles Darwin

The "Father of Evolution" who traveled on the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos Islands, studied finches, and proposed the theory of natural selection in "The Origin of Species."

Evidence for Evolution

Fossils, Homologous Structures, Vestigial Organs, DNA and Biochemistry, Embryos, and Direct Observation.

Big Bang Theory

The theory that all matter and energy were created or put in motion by an instantaneous expansion approximately 13.77 billion years ago, supported by Cosmic Background radiation, Elemental Composition of the Universe, and Doppler Red-Shift.

Intelligent Design

A concept using an "intelligent cause" to explain the origin of life without invoking religion.

Microevolution

The change in gene frequency within a population over a short period of time.

Mechanisms of Microevolution

Mutation, Migration, Genetic Drift, and Natural Selection.

Selection Types

Directional, Disruptive, and Stabilizing selection.

Speciation

The formation of a new species.

Types of Isolation

Reproductive, Behavioral, Geographic, and Temporal isolation.

Environmental Stewardship

The responsible management of the Earth, connected to the biblical concept of caretaking.

Renewable Energy

Hydropower, Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Ocean, and Biomass energy sources.

Carbon Footprint

The amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the environment due to fossil fuel consumption.

Air Pollution and Smog

Introduction of harmful gases into the atmosphere; Smog is a type of air pollution over urban areas.

Temperature Inversion

When warm air traps cold air, preventing proper air circulation.

Conservation

Protection, preservation, management, and restoration of natural environments.

Wastewater Treatment

Preliminary, Primary, Secondary treatment, Disinfection, and Sludge treatment processes.

Turbidity

Measures the level of particles in a body of water.

Demographic-Economic Paradox

High infant mortality rates leading to increased population growth due to economic and social factors.