apes unit 1 vocab 🍇

book: environmental science for the ap course by andrew friedland & rick relyea

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 that includes the temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, and wind speed

community ecology

the study of interactions among species

symbiosis

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

biosphere

the region of our planet where life resides

competition

the struggle of individuals, either within or between species, to obtain a shared limiting resource

competitive exclusion principle

the principle stating that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist

resource partitioning

when two species evolve to divide a resource based on differences in their behavior or morphology

predation

an interaction in which one animal typically kills and consumes another animal

parasitoid

a specialized type of predator that lays eggs inside other organisms- referred to as its host

parasitism

an interaction in which one organism lives on or in another organism, referred to as the host

pathogen

a parasite that causes disease in its host

herbivory

an interaction in which an animal consumes plants or algae

mutualism

an interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival for both species

photosynthesis

the process by which plants and algae use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2)

commensalism

an interaction between two species in which one species benefits and the other species is neither harmed no helped

native species

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

exotic (alien) species

a species living outside its historical range

biome

the plants and animals that are found in a particular region of the world

terrestrial biome

a geographic region of land categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms

aquatic biome

an aquatic region categorized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow

habitat

an area where a particular species lives in nature

tundra

a cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation

permafrost

an impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

taiga (boreal forest)

a forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons

temperate rainforest

a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

temperate seasonal forest

a biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1m (39 inches) of annual precipitation

shrubland (woodland)

a biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters

temperate grassland (cold desert)

a biome characterized by cold, harsh winters and hot, dry summers

tropical rainforest

a warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation

savanna (tropical seasonal forest)

a biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons

hot desert

a biome located at roughly 30° N and 30° S, and characterized by hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation

freshwater biomes

categorized as streams and rivers, lakes and ponds, or freshwater wetlands

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

phytoplankton

floating algae

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

freshwater wetland

an aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

estuary

an area along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean

salt marsh

found along the coast in temperate climates, a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation

mangrove swamp

a swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged with water

intertidal zone

the narrow band of coastline that exists between the levels of high tide and low tide

coral reef

represents Earth's most diverse marine biome, and are found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline in tropical regions

coral bleaching

a phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white

open ocean

deep-ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

photic zone

the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean 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 sulfate

biogeochemical cycle

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

reservoirs

the components of the biogeochemical cycle that contain the matter, including air, water, and organisms

carbon cycle

the movement of carbon around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks

aerobic resperation

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

steady state

when a system's inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time

greenhouse gases

gases in Earth's atmosphere that trap heat near the surface

limiting nutrients

a nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

nitrogen cycle

the movement of nitrogen around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks

nitrogen fixation

the process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of nitrogen that plants and algae can use

nitrification

the conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrate (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)

assimilation

a process by which plants and algae incorporate nitrogen into their tissues

mineralization

the process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert these organic compounds back into inorganic compounds, such as inorganic ammonium (NH4+)

denitrification

the conversion of nitrate (NO3-) in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and, eventually, nitrogen gas (N2), which is emitted into the atmosphere

anaerobic

an environment that lacks oxygen

aerobic

an environment with abundant oxygen

leaching

a process in which dissolved molecules are transported through soil via groundwater

phosphorus cycle

the movement of phosphorus around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks

algal bloom

a rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway

hypoxic

low in oxygen

dead zone

when oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals

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

evapotranspiration

the combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

runoff

water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

producers

plants, algae, and some bacteria that use the Sun's energy to produce usable forms of energy, such as sugars

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

the total amount of solar energy that produces in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

net primary productivity

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

standing crop

the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

consumer

an organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must therefore obtain its energy by consuming other organisms

herbivore

a consumer that eats producers

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

food chain

the sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers

scavenger

an organism that consumes dead animals

detritivore

an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles

decomposers

fungi and bacteria that complete the breakdown process by converting organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

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

food web

a model of how energy and matter move through two or more interconnected food chains