apes vocab 1

ammonification

organic material is converted back into ammonium by decomposing organisms

assimilation

the process of incorporating a nutrient into an organism's cells.

commensalism

a type of symbiotic relationship between two different species where one organism benefits while the other remains unaffected

competitive exclusion principle

two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely

denitrification

the process by which nitrates are reduced to gaseous nitrogen (N2) and lost to the atmosphere.

ecological footprint

a measure of human impact on Earth's ecosystems

ecotone

transitional areas between adjacent ecological systems

gross primary productivity

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

trophic levels

the different levels in a food chain or food web where organisms obtain energy.

food web

consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem

trophic pyramid

showing the progression of food energy

algal bloom

Rapid growths of algae in bodies of water due to high nutrient levels.

eutrophic

the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in excess dissolved nutrients, typically phosphates and nitrates , leading to an overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae.

oligotrophic

a body of water with a low level of productivity and low amount of nutrients

hypoxic

low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters of a region

keystone species

organisms that have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance

positive feedback

self-reinforcing cycles in which a change in one factor leads to an amplification of that change, resulting in further changes in the same direction

negative feedback

A feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving

biogeochemical cycle

cycle of matter between biotic and abiotic things in the environment involving biological, geologic and chemical interactions

ecological hierarchy

the order of biotic interactions and relationships in an ecosystem: organism, population, community, ecosystem.