APES UNIT 1 - Claude MK2

Predator

An organism that eats another organism (the prey)

Prey

The organism that is eaten by a predator

Predation

Interaction in which a predator eats prey; predator +, prey -

Herbivory

Predation where the prey organism is a plant; herbivore +, plant -

Symbiosis

A close, long-term interaction between two species

Mutualism

Symbiosis where both individuals benefit (+/+)

Commensalism

Symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped (+/0)

Amensalism

Interaction where one organism is harmed and the other is neither harmed nor helped (-/0)

Parasitism

Symbiosis where one organism (the parasite) benefits and the other (the host) is harmed (+/-)

Competition

Interaction that occurs when resources are limited; can be within a species or between different species (-/-)

Resource partitioning

Using resources in different ways, in different places, or at different times to reduce the negative impacts of competition

Biome

A geographical region with a biological community that formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate

Terrestrial biome

A biome that exists on land; defined by its dominant plant community, which forms based on temperature and precipitation

Three general terrestrial biome groups

Tundra/taiga, temperate, and tropical

Taiga (boreal forest)

Coniferous forest (pines, spruces, firs, some larches); long cold winters, short warm humid summers (-5 to 5 °C); low precipitation (200-750 mm/yr)

Temperate rainforest

Coniferous and/or broadleaf trees; cool, mild winters and moderate summers (4 to 12 °C); heavy rainfall (over 1400 mm/yr)

Temperate seasonal forest

Broadleaf deciduous trees; experiences all four seasons; mean temp around 10 °C; precipitation about 750-1500 mm/yr

Tropical rainforest

Broadleaf trees forming a dense canopy; very high plant diversity; 20-29 °C; rainfall 1750-3000 mm/yr

Shrubland

Dense thickets of evergreen shrubs and small trees adapted to hot, dry conditions; long hot dry summers and mild wet winters

Temperate grassland

Grasses and shrubs; semi-arid to semi-humid; warmer dry summers and colder winters

Savanna

Grasses with scattered trees that do not form a closed canopy; warm year-round with distinct wet and dry seasons

Desert

Very little precipitation (less than 250 mm) and few plants; plant life is highly specialized to dry conditions

Tundra

Small plants (sedges, grasses, mosses, lichens, some shrubs); permafrost; cold temperatures and low precipitation

Permafrost

A permanently frozen layer of soil found in the tundra

Factors affecting biome distribution

Climate, geography, latitude and altitude, nutrient availability, and soil; biome distribution is dynamic and can shift as climate changes

Aquatic biome

A biome characterized by factors like salinity, depth, and water flow; also affected by dissolved oxygen and nutrient content

Freshwater biome

Low-salinity aquatic biome (ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, freshwater wetlands); important sources of drinking water

Marine biome (marine ecosystem)

High-salinity aquatic biome (oceans, coral reefs, estuaries, mangrove forests, intertidal zones); very productive, producing nearly half of Earth's atmospheric oxygen via photosynthetic algae and absorbing CO2

Lotic ecosystem

Flowing-water ecosystem such as a river or stream; drains the surrounding landscape and is an agent of erosion

Source zone

River zone at the headwaters where water is concentrated into the river or stream bed from precipitation or snowmelt

Transition zone

River zone where multiple headwater sources join and widen the river and flow slows down

Floodplain zone

River zone where the river meanders toward its mouth through a wide flat region and may overflow its banks

Lentic ecosystem

Still-water ecosystem such as a lake, pond, or some freshwater wetlands

Pond

Small, shallow lentic ecosystem where light penetrates all the way to the bottom

Lake

Larger, deeper lentic ecosystem where light does not reach the bottom

Littoral zone

Shallow, nearshore zone. In a lake: sunlit, nutrient-rich, supports many plant and animal species. In the ocean (intertidal zone): the area of land between the high water mark and the low water mark

Limnetic zone (photic/open-water zone)

Surface layer of a lake where light penetrates; photosynthesis and production occur here

Profundal zone (aphotic/deep-water zone)

Layer beneath the limnetic zone where light no longer penetrates; little to no photosynthesis

Benthic zone

The bottom of a body of water, including the soil/sediment and organisms living there (lake floor or ocean seafloor)

Wetland

Semi-aquatic ecosystem where the groundcover is flooded or saturated with water

Marsh

Wetland characterized by herbaceous (non-woody) plants

Swamp

Wetland characterized by woody vegetation (trees and shrubs)

Bog

Peatland that receives water mostly from precipitation; acidic water with poor nutrients

Fen

Peatland fed by mineral-rich groundwater; more alkaline than a bog

Peat

Buildup of dead and decaying plant material in the soils of bogs and fens

Vernal pool

Seasonal wetland that fills in spring with precipitation or snowmelt and dries in summer or fall; no fish, so it is a prime breeding ground for amphibians and invertebrates

Salinity

The salt content of water

Turbidity

How cloudy or murky water is due to suspended particles

Dissolved oxygen

Amount of oxygen dissolved in water; a key factor in aquatic ecosystem health

Factors affecting marine distribution

Salinity, depth, turbidity, nutrient availability, dissolved oxygen, and temperature

Five oceans

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic

Pelagic zone

The water column of the open ocean

Neritic (sublittoral) zone

Extends from the low water mark to the continental shelf; contains most marine life and coastal habitats

Oceanic zone

Open ocean beyond the continental shelf, with a significant change in depth

Photic zone

Part of the pelagic zone where light penetrates and photosynthesis can occur

Aphotic zone

Part of the pelagic zone where less than 1% of surface light penetrates; little to no photosynthesis; relies on outside energy sources

Disphotic (twilight) zone

Subdivision of the aphotic zone where very small amounts of light still penetrate

Marine snow

Falling organic debris from upper waters that provides energy to the aphotic zone

Hydrothermal vents

Seafloor openings that provide chemical energy (chemosynthesis) in the aphotic zone

Epipelagic (sunlit) zone

Coincides with the photic zone; holds most open ocean life and photosynthesis

Mesopelagic (twilight) zone

Coincides with the disphotic zone; lower boundary at around 10-12 °C

Bathypelagic (midnight) zone

Open ocean in complete darkness; temperature ranges from 10 °C to 4 °C

Abyssopelagic zone (the abyss)

Deep open ocean with no light that sits on top of the ocean floor (abyssal plain)

Hadalpelagic zone

Deepest waters in oceanic trenches; no light

Ocean stratification

Natural separation of ocean water into horizontal layers based on density

Pycnocline

Layer of water with the greatest change in density

Thermocline

Layer of water with the greatest change in temperature

Halocline

Layer of water with the greatest change in salinity

Coral reef

Coastal ecosystem centered on a colony of corals; found in tropical and subtropical waters; supports many species through symbiotic relationships

Mangrove forest

Trees or shrubs growing in salty, oxygen-poor coastal soils; roots protect coastal soils from erosion

Estuary

Marine ecosystem where a river meets the sea and freshwater mixes with saltwater; high nutrients make it one of the most productive ecosystems

Brackish water

Mixture of freshwater and saltwater found in estuaries

Tide pool

Shallow pool of seawater in rocky areas of the intertidal zone; separate bodies of water mainly at low tide; hosts highly adaptable invertebrates

Biogeochemical cycle

Movement and transformation of chemical elements and compounds between the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere through biological, geological, and chemical processes; matter is fully conserved as it cycles

Reservoir

A place where an element or compound is held for long periods of time, usually abiotic

Exchange pool

A place where an element or compound is held for much shorter periods and moves frequently, usually between biotic and abiotic factors

Flux

Any process that moves a chemical element or compound between reservoirs or exchange pools

Source

Any process or pool that emits more into the environment than it accepts

Sink

Any process or pool that accepts more into the environment than it emits

Long and short cycles

Long cycles generally involve the geological portion; short cycles generally involve the atmosphere and biological processes

Carbon cycle

Cycling of carbon and carbon-containing compounds through various sources and sinks

Photosynthesis

Biological process that moves carbon from the atmosphere into ecosystems: CO2 + H2O + light -> CH2O + O2

Cellular respiration

Biological process that returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere

Fossil fuels

Fuels formed when carbon from dead, decaying organic matter is stored through geological processes; burning (combustion) releases the stored carbon into the atmosphere, an example of human impact on the carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Movement of nitrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds through various sources and sinks; microorganisms play a large role

Nitrogen fixation

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into bioavailable compounds like ammonia (NH3) and nitrate (NO3-); occurs abiotically (lightning, industrial processes) and biologically (diazotrophs, some of which are symbiotic with plants)

Diazotroph

A microorganism that performs biological nitrogen fixation

Nitrogenase

Enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia

Assimilation

Plants absorb nitrogen as ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3-) through root hairs and incorporate it into amino acids, nucleic acids, and chlorophyll

Ammonification

Bacteria and fungi convert organic nitrogen from dead organisms and waste back into ammonia or ammonium

Nitrification

Conversion of ammonia/ammonium into nitrate through nitrite by nitrifying soil bacteria; usually a two-step process

Denitrification

Reduction of nitrates back into atmospheric nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria in anaerobic soils (e.g., waterlogged soils)

Nitrogen reservoir

The atmosphere (about 78% nitrogen gas) is the primary reservoir; other pools hold nitrogen only briefly

Limiting nutrient

A nutrient whose scarcity limits how productive an ecosystem can be

Nitrogen as a limiting nutrient

Nitrogen is essential (amino acids, nucleic acids) and soil nitrogen is limited by the rate of nitrogen fixation, which limits primary production

Haber-Bosch process

Industrial process that synthesizes nitrogen-containing compounds for fertilizers

Phosphorus cycle

Movement of phosphorus and phosphorus-containing compounds between sources and sinks; depends on slow geological and oceanic processes; the only major biogeochemical cycle without a significant atmospheric portion

Tectonic uplift

Exposure of phosphorus-bearing rocks such as apatite to surface weathering

Apatite

Phosphorus-bearing rock that is weathered to release phosphorus

Weathering and erosion (phosphorus)

Physical erosion plus chemical and biological weathering of rock release dissolved and particulate phosphorus into soils, lakes, and rivers