Biology Ecology Review: Cycling of Materials and Ecosystems

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on biology, ecology, material cycling, adaptations, food chains, environmental changes, decay, biodiversity, food security, and biotechnology.

Enclosed System (Earth)

A system with a fixed number of atoms where materials like water and carbon are continuously recycled.

Water Cycle

The continuous movement of water between living and non-living things on Earth.

Evaporation

The process where the sun heats the Earth's surface, causing water to turn into water vapor.

Condensation

The process where moist air rises, cools, and water vapor forms clouds.

Precipitation

Water droplets in clouds get heavier and fall as rain.

Percolation

The process of water trickling through gaps in soils and rocks.

Transpiration

The process of water being lost from the surface of plant leaves.

Carbon Cycle

The natural process by which carbon is exchanged among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living things.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants and algae remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make glucose, which is then used to create carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Respiration

The process by which organisms release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Decomposition

The breakdown of dead organic matter and waste products by microorganisms.

Decay

The breakdown of organic matter through the action of microorganisms, which is faster in warm, moist, aerobic conditions.

Abiotic Factor

A non-living physical or chemical part of an ecosystem that affects living organisms, such as light intensity, temperature, or soil pH.

Biotic Factor

A living or once-living organism in an ecosystem that affects other living organisms, such as new predators, disease, or competition.

Habitat

The place where an organism lives.

Population

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat.

Community

The populations of different species living together in a habitat.

Ecosystem

The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their environment.

Interdependence

The mutual reliance between species within a community for resources like food, shelter, pollination, and seed dispersal.

Adaptation

A feature or characteristic that helps an organism survive in its specific environment.

Structural Adaptation

Physical features of an organism's body structure, such as shape or color, that aid survival (e.g., Arctic fox's white fur).

Behavioural Adaptation

Ways in which an organism behaves to survive (e.g., species migrating to warmer climates).

Functional Adaptation

Internal processes within an organism's body related to metabolism or reproduction that aid survival (e.g., desert animals producing concentrated urine).

Producer

An organism (usually a green plant or algae) that makes its own food using energy from the sun, forming the starting point of a food chain.

Biomass

The total mass of living material, representing the stored energy in an organism or at a trophic level.

Primary Consumer

An herbivore that feeds on producers, occupying Trophic Level 2 in a food chain.

Secondary Consumer

A carnivore that feeds on primary consumers, occupying Trophic Level 3 in a food chain.

Tertiary Consumer

A carnivore that feeds on secondary consumers, occupying Trophic Level 4 in a food chain.

Apex Predator

A carnivore at the top of a food chain that has no natural predators.

Decomposers

Organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that break down uneaten remains and waste products, secreting enzymes and absorbing small soluble food molecules.

Food Chain

A diagram that shows what is eaten by what in an ecosystem, always starting with a producer.

Biodiversity

The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, essential for stable ecosystems and human survival.

Global Warming

A type of climate change caused by increasing levels of greenhouse gases (like CO2 and methane) in the atmosphere, leading to a rise in Earth's average temperature.

Deforestation

The cutting down of trees, often to clear land for other purposes or for the production of biofuels, contributing to increased atmospheric CO2 and reduced biodiversity.

Peat Bogs

Acidic and waterlogged land areas where plant material doesn't fully decay due to lack of oxygen, forming peat which stores carbon.

Biogas

A fuel, mainly methane, produced by the anaerobic decay of organic waste material, used as a sustainable energy source.

Genetic Engineering

A biotechnology technique involving the transfer of a useful gene from one organism to another to produce a desired trait or product, such as human insulin in bacteria.

Mycoprotein

A high-protein food source derived from the fungus Fusarium, cultured in aerobic conditions on glucose syrup, often used as a vegetarian meat substitute.

Food Security

The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food for a population.

Sustainable Fishing

Practices that aim to maintain fish stocks at a level where they can continue to breed and replenish, preventing overfishing and ensuring the long-term health of ocean food chains.

Pyramids of Biomass

Diagrams that show the relative mass of living material at each trophic level in a food chain, typically demonstrating a decrease in biomass at higher levels.

Efficiency of Biomass Transfer

A measure of how much biomass (and stored energy) is transferred from one trophic level to the next, calculated as (biomass transferred to next level / biomass available at previous level) * 100.