APES Unit 1

What are the 3 types of symbiosis?

Commensalism, Parasitism, Mutualism

What is the difference between interspecific and intraspecific competition?

Interspecific competition is between members of different species, while intraspecific competition is between members of the same species

What are the steps to the nitrogen cycle?

Nitrification, Denitrification, Assimilation, Nitrogen Fixation, and Ammonification

What is Nitrogen Fixation?

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria break apart N2 into separate molecules that can then be used to make ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4), this moves nitrogen from the air into the soil

What is Nitrification?

Nitrifying bacteria add O2 to ammonia/ammonium to make it first into nitrites, then into nitrates, which are easier for plants to absorb during assimilation

What is Nitrogen Assimilation?

The process of nitrogen being absorbed into living organisms, usually in the form of nitrates or ammonia

What is Ammonification?

When nitrates in organisms return to the soil as ammonia during decomposition

What is Denitrification?

Denitrifying bacteria revert ammonia/ammonium back into N2 gas in low oxygen environments

What is the Rule of 10 on the trophic pyramid?

Each consecutive trophic level only retains 10% of the energy gained in the previous trophic level

What is GPP?

Gross Primary Productivity, the rate that solar energy is captured during photosynthesis

What is NPP?

Net Primary Productivity, the amount of solar energy captured in plants after subtracting the amount lost to respiration: NPP = GPP - R

What 3 terms are used to classify lakes by their biological productivity?

Eutrophic, Mesotrophic, Oligotrophic