AP Environmental Science - (Smedes Quizlet Sets)

Symbiosis

A relationship in which two different species live in close association with each other in a long-term relationship

Ecosystem

All of the abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) components of a given area

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed. The parasite often lives inside of and using the host as an energy source, although not always.

Interspecific competition

competition between members of different species, such as lions and hyenas competing for food

Competition

A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource; for example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. It may be intraspecific or interspecific.

Resource partitioning

The evolution of behavioral and physical adaptations that allow two species to reduce their competition for a shared resource

Coevolution

Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other. Can often result in resource partitioning or mutualistic relationships

population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

community

All the different populations that live together in an area

biome

An area with a particular average temperature and precipitation (climate)

Terrestrial

relating to the land (not aquaitc, or water-based)

Climate

The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

Taiga (boreal forest, northern coniferous forest)

Forests with mostly coniferous (cone-bearing) trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons. Needles of coniferous trees are adapted to tolerate freezing temperatures, so they stay on all year (evergreen).

Cold temperature, waxy, tough needles that don't break down easily both contribute to slow decomposition and low soil nutrient levels.

Tundra

Flat, cold, treeless biome with permanently frozen soils in winter, and a short, 4 month growing season in the summer. Even in summer, deeper soil remains totally frozen (permafrost) preventing taller trees from establishing roots. Mostly shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens that can withstand shallow, waterlogged soil & cold temperatures.

Cold temp. = low decomp. = low soil nutrients

temperate seasonal forest

A biome with warmer summers and colder winters than temperate rainforests and dominated by deciduous (broadleaf - maples, oaks, etc.) trees.

High summer temp. = faster decomp.
Broadleaves easier to decomp. than needles = higher soil nutrients than boreal forests or temperate rainforests

Temperate rainforest

Cool, rainy forests found along coasts, such as the northern Pacific. Water vapor from oceans keeps the temperature moderate and provides lots of moisture for high precipitation. Huge conifers like the red woods of California are found in these biomes.

Cooler temperature = slow decomp.
heavy rainfall & rapid absorption by large trees = low nutrient levels in soil

woodland/shrubland (chaparral)

Hot dry summers with mild, rainy winters. 12 month growing period, but relatively low precipitation in summer, and lower temperature in winter limit plant growth. Plants here must be adapted to both fires and drought (sagebrush, scrub oak, and shrubs).

High rain in winter = leaching of nutrients = low nutrient soil

Tropical rainforests

Near the equator. Warm with lots of precipitation. Little seasonal temperature variation. Highly productive (high plant growth) terrestrial biome.

Hot temp. = rapid decomp. of organic matter
High plant growth = rapid absorption of nutrients
Low nutrient soils

Savanna

Warm biome with distinct wet and dry seasons. Dominated by clustered trees and widespread grasses. Trees adapted to drought by dropping leaves in dry season.

Warm temperature = high decomp. = high soil nutrients

Desert

Occur around 30 degrees N & S latitude. Very high temperatures and low precipitation levels limit plants to drought-resistant species like cacti & succulents. Needles are modified leaves to prevent water loss and most photosynthesis happens in the stem, to limit water loss.

Latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

Altitude

Elevation (height) above sea level

Permafrost

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground, particularly in tundra biomes. Thaws out in the winter to produce standing water and water-logged soils that further restrict plant growth in tundra biomes.

temperate grassland/cold desert

Great plaines (prairie) biome with cold, harsh winters and hot, dry summers restrict plant growth to mostly grasses and non-wood plants like wild flowers. Deep roots can reach water in droughts and store energy for quick regrowth after frequent fires due to such dry conditions.

High temperature & long growing season = rapid decomp. = high soil nutrients

Salt Marsh

An estuary marsh, found along the coast in temperate climates. Mix of fresh and salt water. Highly productive breeding grounds for many fish and shellfish species.

Aquatic

relating to water

benthic zone

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

Open Ocean

Deep, salty aquatic biome. Largest boime on earth. Algae in this biome produce a significant portion of earth's oxygen via photosynthesis

Coral reef

Shallow, warm, ocean biome featuring the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae. Coral supply the calcium-carbonate reef for algae to live in, as well as nutrients and CO2. The algae use nutrients and CO2 for photosynthesis and release sugar for the coral to use as energy.

Mangrove swamps

A swamp biome that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water. Roots provide organic matter and habitat for many fish & shellfish species as well as stabilizing the shoreline from erosion.

Estuary

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean. High levels of organic matter term-50are deposited by the river, making them high nutrient, highly productive ecosystems.

Algae

a very simple plant without stems or leaves that grows in or near water.

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid.

Turbidity

A measure of how cloudy water is (higher turbidity = more cloudy). Sediments like sand and leaf litter increase turbidity.

Freshwater Wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation such as trees and cattails. Plants must have adaptations to allow them to survive water-logged soil.

Salt Marsh

An estuary marsh, found along the coast in temperate climates. Mix of fresh and salt water. Highly productive breeding grounds for many fish and shellfish species.

Aquatic

relating to water

benthic zone

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

Open Ocean

Deep, salty aquatic biome. Largest boime on earth. Algae in this biome produce a significant portion of earth's oxygen via photosynthesis

Coral reef

Shallow, warm, ocean biome featuring the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae. Coral supply the calcium-carbonate reef for algae to live in, as well as nutrients and CO2. The algae use nutrients and CO2 for photosynthesis and release sugar for the coral to use as energy.

Mangrove swamps

A swamp biome that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water. Roots provide organic matter and habitat for many fish & shellfish species as well as stabilizing the shoreline from erosion.

Estuary

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean. High levels of organic matter term-50are deposited by the river, making them high nutrient, highly productive ecosystems.

Algae

a very simple plant without stems or leaves that grows in or near water.

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid.

Turbidity

A measure of how cloudy water is (higher turbidity = more cloudy). Sediments like sand and leaf litter increase turbidity.

Freshwater Wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation such as trees and cattails. Plants must have adaptations to allow them to survive water-logged soil.

Carbon reservoirs

Relatively stable, short-term stores of carbon on earth.

Ex: fossil fuels, soils and sediments, plant and animal biomass, and the atmosphere

Carbon sinks

Relatively long-term stores that can take in more carbon dioxide than they produces

Ex: Plants, ocean, soils, sedimentary rock (can be either reservoirs or sinks, depending on their depth & time)

Photosynthesis

Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into sugars and oxygen. Removes CO2 from atmosphere.

Cellular respiration

Process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and releasing CO2 into atmosphere

Decomposition

A chemical proc done by soil bacteria that breaks down organic matter and stores carbon in the soil and releases it into the atmosphere as CO2 and methane (CH4)

Carbon sequestration (storage)

The act of removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it. Plants sequester, or store carbon from the atmosphere.

Direct exchange

Movement of carbon dioxide gas directly between the ocean and atmosphere.
Happens at a relatively stable rate, although excess atmospheric carbon will increase the level of CO2 in the ocean

Sedimentation

The process of soil particles and decaying organic matter building up in layers on the ground or at the bottom of the ocean.
Over time, pressure from water or rock layers above compresses sediments into sedimentary rock (limestone) or FFs

Burial

The formation of sedimentary rock like limestone, or fossil fuels, as layers of sediments are compressed under the ocean or overlying rock layers.

Extraction

Removal of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) from the ground, usually by mining or drilling.
A very rapid process compared to the sedimentation and burial required to form fossil fuel

Combustion of fossil fuels

Burning of fossil fuels (primarily in cars and power plants) to release energy
Releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere very rapidly, acting as a carbon source

Reservoir

A place on earth that stores a relatively stable amount of (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus)

Sink

A place on earth that can store an increasing amount of water, carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus, usually for a long period of time

Source

An action that returns carbon, or water to the atmosphere. Ex: burning fossil fuels like gasoline releases CO2 into the atmosphere

Organic

of, relating to, or derived from living matter, contains carbon

Lithosphere

The rocks and soil that make up earth's "land" surface or crust

Hydrosphere

All of the water reservoirs on earth (ocean, lakes, groundwater, streams, water vapor in the atmosphere)

Biosphere

All living things (or organic matter from living things) on earth

Atmosphere

the layer of gases surrounding Earth

Primary productivity

rate at which organic matter is created by producers (via photosynthesis) in an ecosystem

GPP (gross primary productivity)

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

NPP (net primary productivity)

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels of the food chain through which energy flows from primary producers to primary consumers, secondary consumers and so on.

Conservation of matter

the principle stating that matter is not created or destroyed during a chemical reaction

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

First law of thermodynamics

Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

second law of thermodynamics

when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is lost as heat

Energy pyramid

Shows the amount of energy that moves from one trophic level to another in a food web

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the trophic pyramid decreases as you go up.

producers (autotrophs)

organisms that make their own food by using a primary energy source (such as sunlight or heat) to conduct photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

Primary consumers

animals that feed on producers; ex. herbivores like rabbits or deer

secondary consumers

carnivores that eat herbivores; ex wolves, lions

tertiary consumers

carnivores that eat secondary consumers; ex large birds of prey

heterotrophs

An organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products. (basically consumers like animals)

Biodiveristy

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Three types: ecosystem, species, genetic

species biodiversity

represents the number of different species living in an area

genetic biodiversity

the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species (higher gen. biodiversity makes populations more resistant to disturbance)

ecosystem biodiversity

refers to the variety of ecosystems found in a given area

habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. (abiotic + biotic)

specialist species

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food. (pandas)

generalist species

Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. (cockroaches, mice, rats, and human beings)

biodiversity hotspots

Relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptionally high number of species and are at high risk from human activities

ecosystem services

Important environmental benefits, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and fertile soil for growing crops, that ecosystems provide (have a monetary value to humans)

provisioning services

Benefits of biodiversity that humans use, including lumber, fur, meat, crops, water, and fiber

regulating services

the service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions (trees removing carbon from atmosphere and roots filtering ground water)

supporting services

the basic ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycles and soil formation, that are needed to maintain other services like agriculture (bees, moths pollinating agricultural crops)

cultural services

ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people (tourists willing to pay to visit nature, or scientists conducting research that leads to new knowledge)

Anthropogenic

caused by humans

ecological

relating to or concerned with the relation of living organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

island biogeography theory

explains how species come to be distributed among oceanic islands