GEOG 1030 - Quiz 5

The sphere of life and organic activity, from ocean floor to 8km altitude into the atmosphere.

Biosphere

A self-sustaining association of living plants and animals and their nonliving physical environment.

Ecosystem

The study of relationships between organisms and their environment and among the various ecosystems in the biosphere.

Ecology

The study of the distribution of plants and animals.

Biogeography

General theoretical term that means the places that a given compound (molecule) or element can occupy.

Reservoir

How long a given compound or element will last in a given reservoir.

Residence time

Processes during which nitrogen moves through living and non-living things.

Nitrogen cycles

Describes the transformation and translocation of phosphorous in soil, water, and living and dead organic material.

Phosphorous cycle

Rate of energy stores as biomass by plants for a whole ecosystem (photosynthesis).

Net primary productivity

Energy flows from producers to consumers and eventually detritivores.

Food chain

A complex network of interconnected food chains.

Food web

The total quantity or weight of organisms in an area or volume.

Biomass

The type of environment in which an organism resides or is biologically adapted to live.

Habitat

The function or occupation of a life form within a given community.

Niche

The disappearance of an entire species from the face of the earth.

Extinction

The disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not the entire species globally.

Extirpation

Change over time.

Evolution

Genetic change in populations over time.

Biological evolution

From a common ancestor.

Divergent variation

Unrelated species develop similar characteristics over time.

Convergent variation

An area that supports an especially great diversity of species, particularly species that are endemic to the area.

Biodiversity hotspots

Maximum number of individuals of a population that a given environment can sustain.

Carrying capacity

Geographic region where a group of plant and animal species evolved.

Biogeographic realms

Large, stable, terrestrial ecosystem characterized by specific plant and animal communities.

Biomes

The movement of people from rural to urban (towns and cities) areas.

Urbanization

The residential areas on the outskirts of a city.

Suburban