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What is the process by which plants convert solar energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis?
Primary production.
What are organisms that create their own food using sunlight called?
Primary producers or autotrophs.
What is the term for organisms that consume other organisms for energy?
Heterotrophs.
During photosynthesis, what percentage of incoming solar radiation do plants typically use?
2%.
What term describes the total amount of energy in an ecosystem at a given point in time?
Biomass.
What occurs during photosynthesis when plants convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
Carbon fixation.
What are the end products of cellular respiration?
Carbon dioxide and water.
What does a trophic pyramid represent?
The transfer of energy between trophic levels.
What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?
NPP = GPP - R, where GPP is gross primary production and R is respiration.
What is a food web more representative of compared to a food chain?
Complex feeding relationships in ecosystems.
What is the relationship between production and assimilation efficiency, particularly in birds?
Birds have the lowest Production to Assimilation efficiency (P/A ratio).
What type of energy includes human labor and nitrogen fertilizer?
Cultural energy.
What is the negative consequence of overusing synthetic fertilizers in agriculture?
Soil degradation.
What are CAFOs in agriculture?
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.
What happens to nitrogen when it moves through the agricultural system?
It starts with mineralization and can become immobilized within plant tissues.
Which process allows nitrogen gas to be converted into used nitrogen forms for plants?
Denitrification.
What is the key difference between C3 and C4 plants in terms of photosynthesis efficiency?
C4 plants are more efficient at converting solar energy into biomass than C3 plants.
What are phototropic responses in plants?
Plants growing towards or away from a light source.
What is the impact of increased atmospheric CO2 on ocean pH?
It leads to ocean acidification, decreasing the pH.
What does hardpan refer to in agriculture?
A negative development in soil structure due to intensive tillage.
What is cellulosic ethanol and how is it different from grain ethanol?
It uses the entire plant versus just the grain, making it more environmentally friendly.
What is photorespiration?
A process occurring in plants, primarily C3 plants, under conditions of high oxygen and low carbon dioxide.
How do plants respond structurally to high temperatures?
By developing adaptations like waxy leaves.
What are serotinous cones?
Cones that require fire to open and release seeds.
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