Introduction to Ecology, Community Ecology, Ecosystems

Ecosystem

Community of organisms and their abiotic environment.

Energy flow

Movement of energy through ecosystem components.

Chemical cycling

Movement of matter through biogeochemical cycles.

Primary producers

Organisms that produce energy via photosynthesis.

Primary consumers

Herbivores that consume primary producers.

Secondary consumers

Carnivores that eat primary consumers.

Tertiary consumers

Top predators in an ecosystem.

Detritivores

Organisms that consume decomposing organic matter.

Biogeochemical cycles

Processes that recycle nutrients in ecosystems.

Reservoir A

Organic materials available as nutrients.

Reservoir B

Organic materials unavailable as nutrients.

Reservoir C

Inorganic materials available as nutrients.

Reservoir D

Inorganic materials unavailable as nutrients.

Fossilization

Process of organic material turning into fossil fuels.

Water Cycle

Continuous movement of water through environment.

Evaporation

Conversion of liquid water to vapor.

Precipitation

Water released from clouds as rain or snow.

Carbon Cycle

Movement of carbon among atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere.

Photosynthesis

Process converting CO2 and sunlight into glucose.

Cellular respiration

Process converting glucose into usable energy.

Nitrogen Cycle

Movement of nitrogen through atmosphere and organisms.

Phosphorus Cycle

Movement of phosphorus through rocks, water, and organisms.

Bioremediation

Use of organisms to detoxify polluted environments.

Restoration ecology

Field focused on recovering degraded ecosystems.

Biological community

Assemblage of interacting populations of species.

Interspecific interactions

Relationships between different species in a community.

Competition

Interspecific competition for shared resources.

Competitive exclusion principle

Two species cannot coexist competing for identical resources.

Ecological niche

Total resource use by a species in its environment.

Resource partitioning

Differentiation of niches to reduce competition.

Realized niche

Actual conditions under which a species exists.

Fundamental niche

Full range of conditions for potential existence.

Predation

One species kills and consumes another.

Cryptic coloration

Camouflage that makes prey hard to detect.

Aposematic coloration

Bright warning colors indicating toxicity.

Batesian mimicry

Harmless species mimics harmful species.

Müllerian mimicry

Unpalatable species resemble each other.

Symbiosis

Intimate relationship between two or more species.

Mutualism

Interaction benefiting both species involved.

Obligate mutualism

One species cannot survive without the other.

Facultative mutualism

Both species can survive independently.

Commensalism

One species benefits, the other is unaffected.

Facilitation

One species positively affects another without contact.

Species diversity

Variety of organisms in a community.

Species richness

Number of different species in a community.

Relative abundance

Proportion of each species in the community.

Shannon diversity index

Quantifies species diversity in a community.

Trophic structure

Feeding relationships among organisms in a community.

Secondary consumers

Organisms that eat primary consumers.

Carnivore

An animal that primarily eats other animals.

Primary consumers

Herbivores that eat primary producers.

Herbivore

An animal that primarily eats plants.

Zooplankton

Small aquatic organisms that feed on phytoplankton.

Primary producers

Organisms that produce energy through photosynthesis.

Phytoplankton

Microscopic plants in aquatic environments.

Ecosystem

Community of organisms and their abiotic environment.

Energy flow

Movement of energy through an ecosystem.

Chemical cycling

Recycling of nutrients within ecosystems.

1st law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

2nd law of thermodynamics

Systems tend toward greater disorder (entropy).

Law of conservation of mass

Matter cannot be created or destroyed.

Gross primary production (GPP)

Total energy produced by autotrophs over time.

Net primary production (NPP)

GPP minus energy used by producers for respiration.

Limiting nutrient

Nutrient that restricts production increase in ecosystems.

Eutrophication

Nutrient overload causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Production efficiency

Energy fraction stored in biomass, not used for respiration.

Aquatic ecosystems

Ecosystems in marine and freshwater environments.

Terrestrial ecosystems

Ecosystems on land, influenced by temperature and moisture.

Detritus

Organic matter from dead organisms and waste.

Trophic interactions

Feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

Pelagic zone

Open water area in oceans and lakes.

Benthic zone

Bottom layer of aquatic ecosystems.

Primary production

The creation of organic compounds by producers.

Net secondary production

Energy stored in consumer biomass after respiration.

Production efficiency

Percentage of energy converted to biomass.

Ectotherms

Cold-blooded organisms with higher production efficiencies.

Endotherms

Warm-blooded organisms with lower production efficiencies.

Trophic efficiency

Energy transfer percentage between trophic levels.

Tertiary consumers

Top-level predators in the food chain.

Primary consumers

Herbivores that consume primary producers.

Primary producers

Organisms that produce energy via photosynthesis.

Aquatic ecosystems

Systems with efficient energy transfer and longer food chains.

Biomass pyramid

Graphical representation of biomass distribution across trophic levels.

Biogeochemical cycles

Movement of elements through biological and geological processes.

Gaseous elements

Carbon, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen cycling globally.

Phosphorus cycle

Local cycling of phosphorus through terrestrial and aquatic systems.

Carbon cycle

Movement of carbon through photosynthesis and respiration.

Nitrogen cycle

Transformation of nitrogen among various forms and reservoirs.

Reservoirs

Storage locations for nutrients in ecosystems.

Decomposition

Breakdown of organic matter, releasing nutrients.

Bioremediation

Use of organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems.

Biological augmentation

Adding organisms to restore ecosystem health.

Photosynthesis

Process converting sunlight into chemical energy.

Cellular respiration

Process of converting glucose into usable energy.

Ecology

Study of organism-environment interactions.

Ecosystem

Community of organisms and their physical environment.

Population

Group of individuals of the same species.

Community

Group of populations of different species.

Biomes

Major life zones defined by vegetation or environment.

Climate

Long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area.