AP ENV - Chapter 1

I tried to make it more concise!

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment, including factors such as climate, soil, and water.

Organism

a living thing that can function on its own

interspecific

between different species

intraspecific

within the same species

population

organisms of the same species that interact with each other

community

population of different species

ecological niche

the role and position a species has in its environment, including all interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.

niche

how a species fits into its environment, its habitat, resources, and interactions with other species

generalist species

able to survive on a wide variety of food resources and wide niches (ex. raccoon)

specialist species

survive on a limited number of food and narrow niches (ex. giant panda)

symbiosis

the close and long term interaction between two species

amensalism

one suffers, one is unaffected

commensalism

one benefits, one is unaffected

mutualism

both benefit

parasitism

one benefits, one is unharmed

saprottrophism

saprotrophs obtain their nutrients from dead or decaying plants, absorbing soluble organic compounds

law of tolerance

states the the existence, abundance, and distribution of species depends on the tolerance level of each species

limiting factor

any abiotic factor that limits or prevents the growth of a population

morphological partitioning

where different species evolve distinct physical characteristics to access different resources

spatial partitioning

when species occupy different areas to reduce competition

temporal partitioning

when two species eliminate direct competition by utilizing the same resource at different times

the distribution of various biomes are controlled by what two things?

temperature and rainfall

deserts

low precipitation, extreme temperature variations, limited vegetation

arctic tundra

cold, treeless, low temperatures, short growing seasons, permafrost

desert animals

small, nocturnal, and have small surface areas

aestivation

a summer hibernation that allows animals to survive extreme heat and drought conditions

forests

covers about 1/3 of earth’s land

ecozones

large areas of land with distinct climates

closed canopy

tree crowns cover more than 20% of the grounds surface

open canopy

tree crowns cover less than 20% of the ground surface

tropical rainforests

dense forests with high rainfall, warm temps and biodiversity

tree canopy is multilayered and continuous, allowing little light

overstory

the uppermost trees in a forest

understory

the layer made up of smaller trees and plants

temperate deciduous forest

experiences four seasons, a diversity of plant and animal life

temperate coniferous forest

warm summers, cool winters, enough rainfall, both forest layers

taiga

A cold forest biome with coniferous trees, found in subarctic regions

temperate grasslands

grasses are the dominant vegetation, with trees absent

savannas

grasslands with trees and shrubs

tundra

low temps, limited soil, low biodiversity, short growing seasons

permafrost

a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

oceans cover how much of earth?

75%

convection

the circular motion that occurs when warmer air rises, while the cooler air sinks

littoral zone

part of the ocean closest to the shore

neretic zone

extends to the edge of the continental shelf

photic zone

The upper layer of water exposed to sunlight, extending to depths with minimal light

fringing reefs

the most common type of reef, growing near the coastlines around land

barrier reefs

parallel to the coastline but are separated by deeper lagoons

atolls

rings of coral that protect lagoons in the middle of the sea

lakes

large natural bodies of freshwater formed when precipitation or runoff fills depressions

benthic zone

the bottom of the lake with low oxygen levels

limnetic zone

the upper layer of a lake, where sunlight penetrates and supports photosynthesis

profundal zone

a deep, no light region with low oxygen levels

oligotrophic (young lake)

deep, cold, small surface area, not much life

mesotrophic (middle lake)

moderate nutrient content, productive

eutrophic (old lake)

shallow, warm, large surface areas

stratification

the layering of different elements, such as shifts in temperature throughout a lake

hypolimnion

a lakes lower layer insulated from the sun

seasonal turnover

the exchange of surface and bottom water in a lake or pond that happens twice a year

source zone

the top part of a river with cold and fast water

transition zone

contains slower, warmer and wider moving streams

floodplain zone

areas adjacent to water bodies that are periodically flooded at different points in time

riparian areas

lands next to water bodies that support vegetation reliant on free soil water

ocean acidification

the decrease in pH levels of ocean water due to increased carbon dioxide absorption

sedimentary deposits

layers of accumulated materials, including minerals and organic matter, formed through sedimentation

Nitrogen

• makes up 78% of the atmosphere and is essential to make amino acids, proteins and nucleic acids

• It increases water acidification, eutrophication, and toxicity.

• It is needed for photosynthesis and plant growth in chlorophyll.

• It availability affects primary production and decomposition

atmospheric nitrogen (N2)

needs to be converted into a usable form through nitrogen fixation so plants and animals can utilize it

nitrogen fixation

N2 is converted into ammonia which are usable forms of nitrogen

nitrification

ammonia is converted to nitrite and nitrate, the most useful for plants

assimilation

plants absorb NH3, NH4 and NO3 through their roots

ammonification

organic nitrogen is converted into ammonia by decomposers

denitrification

bacteria convert nitrate into nitrogen gas, completing the cycle

nitrous oxide (N2O)

a greenhouse gas which breaks down and destroys atmospheric ozone in the stratosphere

Phosphorus

• essential for the production of nucleotides, ATPS, bones and shells

• mostly found in sedimentary rocks

• slowly released from terrestrial rocks by weathering and acid rain, which then dissolves into the soil and is taken up by plants

• often a limiting factor for soils due to its low concentration and solubility

• a key element in fertilizer

condensation

gas to liquid

evaporation

liquid to vapor

evapotranspiration

when water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation

infiltration

when groundwater enters the soil

precipitation

water falling to the ground

capillary action

the movement of liquid through narrow spaces

aquifer

an underground layer of rock or sediment that stores groundwater

recharge zone

the surface area above an aquifer that supplies water to it

unsaturated zone

the zone below the land containing both water and air

water table

the level below the ground saturated with water

land subsidence

the sinking of land that results from groundwater extraction

photosynthesis

plants convert sunlight into energy

chlorophyll

what plants capture light through

trophic level

an organism's position within a food chain

food web

the natural interconnection of food chains

primary consumers

they have longer life spans, slower growth rates and accumulate more biomass than the producers they consume

second law of thermodynamics

as energy is transferred or transformed, more and more of it is wasted

entropy

a measure of disorder or randomness within a system

heterotrophs

organisms that eat others to survive

cellular respiration

photosynthesis backwards

10% rule

states that as little as 10% energy is lost mostly as heat from one stage to the next

productivity

the rate of generation of biomass in an ecosystem and is expressed in units of mass per unit surface area (or volume) per unit time

primary productivity

the rate at which plants convert solar energy into organic matter through photosynthesis

secondary productivity

the rate at which heterotrophic organisms accumulate biomass by consuming other organisms

biomass pyramid

shows how much organic mass is within each trophic level

energy pyramids

shows the proportion of energy passed from one trophic level to the next-level consumers

gross primary production (GPP)

the rate at which plants and other photosynthetic organisms capture light energy and store it as chemical energy