APES Unit 1 : The Living World

ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

individual

a single organism

population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

community

all the living things in an ecosystem

biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms (defined by temperature and percipitation)

abiotic

Non-living

biotic

living things

competition

Organisms will compete with each other for resources such as food, water, living space, shelter, mates. (-/-)

predation/parasitism

one species benefits and the other is harmed or affected (-/+)

mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit (+/+)

commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0)

herbivores

Consumers that eat only plants

true predators

A predator that typically kills its prey and consumes most of what it kills.

parasite

an organism that lives in or on another organism; one who lives off another person

parasitoid

A specialized type of predator that lays eggs inside other organisms - referred to as its host

symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

coral reef

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline; coral provide reef structure and CO2 for algae, algae provides sugars for coral to use as energy

lichen

symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism

legumes

plants of the bean and pea family, with seeds that are rich in protein compared with other plant-derived foods

resource partitioning

different species using the same resource in different ways to reduce competition

temporal partitioning

Two species reduce competition by utilizing a resource a different times

spatial partitioning

Occurs when two competing species use the same resource by occupying different areas.

morphological partitioning

using different resources based on different evolved body features

terrestrial biome

A geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land

climate

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time (determined by latitude)

tropical rainforest

a broadleaf evergreen forest found in wet and hot regions near the equator (nutrient-poor soil, high temp and rainfall, rapid decomposition, nutrient leaching)

boreal forest

Dense forest of evergreens located in the upper regions of the Northern Hemisphere (nutrient-poor soil, low temperature, and low decomposition)

temperate forest

forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually (nutrient-rich soil, lots of dead organic matter, leaves and warm temperature leave moisture for decomposition)

aquatic biome

an aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow

salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

depth

influences how much sunlight can penetrate and reach plants below the surface for photosynthesis

flow

Determines which plants & organisms can survive, how much O2 can dissolve into water

littoral

a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants

limnetic

In a lake, the well-lit, open surface waters farther from shore.

profundal

zone in a freshwater habitat that is below the limits of effective light penetration

benthic

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

wetlands

a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife (contains important nutrients for all ecosystems)

wetland storage

stores excess water during storms, lessening flood damage ot property

wetland recharge

recharges groundwater by absorbing rainfall into soil

wetland filter

rocks of wetland plants filter pollutants from water draining through

wetland habitat

high plant growth rates due to lots of water and nutrients in sediments

estuary

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean. (highly productive because nutrients in sediments deposit by river)

salt marsh

estuary habitat along coast in temperate climates, breeding ground for many fish and shellfish species

mangroves

estuary habitat along coast of tropical climates

coral reefs

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline. (mutualistic relationship between coral and algae)

intertidal zone

the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide (organisms must adapt to survive crashing waves and direst sunlight during low tide)

open ocean

An area in the ocean which contains the surface zone and the deep zone, low productivity per unit of area because algae and phytoplankton can only survive in photic zone

photic zone

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis

aphotic zone

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

carbon sink

places of carbon accumulation such as in large forests (organic compounds) or ocean sediments (calcium carbonate); carbon is thus removed from the carbon cycle for moderately long to very long periods of time.

carbon reservoir

Locations on Earth that store and release carbon slowly (EX: ocean)

carbon sources

Give off carbon (ie: cellular respiration, volcanic activity, burning fossil fuels)

photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches (quick)

respiration

The process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain. (quick)

direct exchange of carbon

CO2 moves directly between atmosphere and ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface, high levels of atmosperic CO2 = high levels of oceanic CO2 (quick)

nitrogen cycle

• the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition. * sources: plants, soil, atmosphere

• sinks: atmosphere

nitrogen fixation

• process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use

• (N2 to NH3 or NO3)

nitrogen fixing bacteria

bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia

synthetic fixation (nitrogen cycle)

humans combust fossil fuels to convert N2 gas into nitrate (NO3)

-nitrates are added to synthetic fertilizers like miracle grow and used in agriculture

nitrogen assimilation

The incorporation by plants of nitrate and ammonium into essential nitrogen-containing organic compounds.

nitrogen ammonification

Animals and plants decompose and the nitrogen from their bodies turns into Ammonia in the soil.

nitrification

The conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)

denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria (con occur from fertilizer runoff)

phosphorus cycle

• the cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment

• sources: sedimentary rocks

• sinks: sedimentary rocks

• natural source: weathering of rocks

• synthetic source: mining phosphate minerals

• is not soluable

phosphorus assimilation

plants absorb phosphates from the soil to make DNA and proteins

geological uplift

the process of mountain building in which Earth's crust folds and deeply buried rock layers rise and are exposed

hydrologic cycle

The cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff * driven by solar energy * largest reservoir: ocean (ice caps = important)

transpiration

the process in plants by which water is taken up by the roots and released as water vapor through stomata in the leaves

evapotranspiration

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

infiltration

rain trickling through soil into groundwater aquifers

runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

primary productivity

the rate at which organic material is produced by photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem (high PP = high plant growth = lots of food and shelter = high biodiversity) (important contributors = water availability, higher temp, and nutrient availability)

net primary productivity (NPP)

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire ( ___ = GPP - RL)

gross primary productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

respiration loss

plants use up some of the energy they generate via photosynthesis by doing cell. respiration (movement, internal transportation, etc.)

ecological efficiency

the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

law of conservation of mass

the law that states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in ordinary chemical and physical changes

1st law of thermodynamics

The principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

2nd law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be changed from one form to another without a loss of usable energy

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

trophic cascade

indirect effects in a community that are initiated by a predator

ecological succession

gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance