Unit 4: Ecology

10 Percent Rule

The rule that only 10% of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next while the other 90% of energy is lost between trophic levels.

Abiotic

The nonliving things within an ecosystem.

Anthropogenic Activities

Change caused by humans.

Atmosphere

The sphere composed of all of the Earth's gases.

Autotroph

They can use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis to fix carbon into organic compounds and are commonly known as producers

Behavioural Isolation

Isolation through species developing different behaviours.

Biosphere

The sphere composed of all life on Earth.

Biotic

The living things within an ecosystem.

Carbon Fixation

The process by which inorganic carbon is converted to organic compounds by living organisms, usually autotrophs.

Carbon Sinks

Things that naturally absorb carbon from the atmosphere, they can absorb carbon through photosynthesis or dissolution in water.

Carbon Sources

Things that emit carbon into the atmosphere and can be major contributors to climate change, they can release carbon through cellular respiration, methanogenesis, peat formation, combustion, or limestone.

Carnivore

These consumers consume only other heterotrophs.

Cellular Respiration

An almost universal process by which organisms utilize the chemical energy in food to produce enough ATP to perform all the necessary actions of living creatures; carried out by enzymes; breaks down sugar molecules into usable molecules occurs in the mitochondria; it requires the presence of oxygen and results in the production of carbon dioxide; much of the energy is lost as heat.

Chemoautotrophy

They are a type of autotroph that uses chemosynthesis to fix carbon into organic compounds

Chemosynthesis

The process by which glucose is made by bacteria using chemicals as the energy source, rather than sunlight.

Climate Change

Long-term shifts in temperatures, weather patterns, and wind patterns; do not confuse this with global warming as they are different things but global warming can be an effect of it.

Combustion of Fossil Fuels

The burning of fossil fuels and trees which returns carbon to the atmosphere.

Community

All the organisms in all interacting populations in a given time.

Detrivore

They are a type of decomposer and they consume dead remains of organisms, breaking them down into less complex organic compounds and they ingest dead organic matter internally.

Ecological Isolation

Isolation that results from different habitats.

Ecology

The study of the relationships between living organisms and between organisms and their environment.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and its surrounding abiotic factors.

Food Chain

A sequence of chains which shows the direction of the flow of energy.

Food Web

Multiple food chains linked together.

Geographic Isolation

Isolation through physical barriers such as mountains.

Global Warming

The long-term heating of Earth's surface observed since the pre-industrial period caused primarily by anthropogenic activities resulting in a higher average global temperature, more frequent and intense heat waves, droughts, intense periods of rainfall and flooding, and more frequent and powerful tropical storms.

Greenhouse Gases

Any type of gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, absorbing up to 85% of the heat emitted, including: water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons.

Herbivore

These consumers only consume autotrophs.

Heterotroph

They consume other organisms as energy sources and are commonly known as consumers

Hydrosphere

The sphere composed of all of the Earth's water.

Infrared

Wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum longer than microwaves but shorter than visible light that are usually detected as heat by a human.

Isolation

Where groups from a species can become separated from the rest of the species which can happen through geographical barriers or the development of different behaviours.

Limestone Formation

Calcium carbonate shells decompose in the ocean forming a sedimentary rock made out of carbon.

Lithosphere

The sphere composed of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, as well rocks, soil, and sediments.

Mesocosms

Small experimental areas that are set up in ecological experiments.

Methanogenesis

The production of methane, a greenhouse gas, as a waste product from anaerobic respiration.

Mixotrophic

An organism that is not exclusively heterotrophic or autotrophic and can carry out nutrition by both means.

Nutrient Cycle

A system where energy and matter are transferred between living organisms and nonliving parts of the environment and examples include the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Ocean Acidification

The effect where the ocean's overall pH level decreases due to climate change, which is detrimental to many calcifying (converts calcium carbonate) species.

Omnivore

These consumers consume both autotrophs and other heterotrophs.

Peat Formation

It forms when organic matter is not fully decomposed as waterlogged soils create anaerobic conditions.

Photoautotrophs

They are a type of autotroph that uses photosynthesis to fix carbon into organic compounds

Photosynthesis

A metabolic pathway that is the conversion of light energy from the sun into food; carbon dioxide and water are converted into carbohydrates (usually glucose), oxygen is released as a waste gas.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographical area at the same time.

Primary Consumer

These consumers eat producers and are commonly known as herbivores.

Pyramid of Energy

The amount of energy converted to new biomass at each trophic level.

Requirements of a Species

Able to breed, able to breed under natural conditions, and offspring must be fertile.

Requirements of a Sustainable Ecosystem

Must have nutrient availability, detoxification of waste products, and energy availability.

Saprotroph

They are a type of decomposer and they break down organic compounds into inorganic molecules, returning them to the abiotic environment, they do so by secreting extracellular enzymes

Secondary Consumer

These consumers eat other consumers and are made of carnivores and omnivores.

Species

A group of organisms that have a common gene pool.

Sustainable Ecosystems

Refers to the ability of an ecosystem to exist independently.

Temporal Isolation

Isolation through reproduction at different times of the year.

Tertiary Consumer

This trophic level is made up of top carnivores.