Ecology and Biogeochemical Cycles - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key ecology and biogeochemical concepts from the lecture notes.

Climate

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time.

Weather

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area (temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, wind).

Symbiosis

Two species living in a close and long-term association with one another in an ecosystem.

Biosphere

The region of the planet where life resides.

Competition

The struggle of individuals, within or between species, to obtain a shared limiting resource.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist.

Resource Partitioning

Two species evolve to divide a resource based on differences in behavior or morphology.

Predation

An interaction in which one animal typically kills and consumes another animal.

Parasitism

An interaction in which one organism lives on or in another organism (the host).

Herbivory

An interaction in which an animal consumes plants or algae.

Mutualism

An interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival or reproduction for both species.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants and algae use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Commensalism

An interaction between two species in which one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Native Species

A species that lives in its historical range, typically where it has lived for thousands or millions of years.

Invasive Species

A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm.

Biome

The plants and animals found in a particular region of the world.

Littoral Zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds near the shore where most algae and emergent plants such as cattails grow.

Limnetic Zone

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds as deep as the sunlight can penetrate.

Profundal Zone

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes.

Benthic Zone

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean beneath the limnetic and profundal zones.

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of phytoplankton due to low amounts of nutrients in the water.

Mesotrophic

Describes a lake with a moderate level of fertility.

Eutrophic

Describes a lake with a high level of fertility.

Photic Zone

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

Aphotic Zone

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

Chemosynthesis

A process used by some bacteria to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide.

Biogeochemical Cycle

The movements of matter within and between ecosystems involving cycles of biological, geological, and chemical processes.

Aerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface.

Global Warming

The increase in global temperatures due to humans producing more greenhouse gases.

Leaching

A process in which dissolved molecules are transported through the soil via groundwater.

Hydrologic Cycle

The movement of water around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks.

Transpiration

The release of water from leaves into the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds.

Anaerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen.

Primary Productivity

The rate of converting solar energy into organic compounds over a period of time.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

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

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire.

Biomass

The total mass of all living matter in a specific area.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats producers (also known as primary consumer).

Carnivore

A consumer that eats other consumers.

Secondary Consumer

A carnivore that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers.

Trophic Levels

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another.

Ecological Efficiency

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

The 10% Rule

Of the total biomass available at a given trophic level, only about 10 percent can be converted into energy at the next higher trophic level.

Trophic Pyramid

A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels.