Ecology Ultimate Set - Biology

Includes terms for module 2. Including, but not limited to, biomes, keystone species, and relationships between biotic/abiotic factors.

biogeochemical cycle

process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from living organisms to the abiotic environment such as soil or the atmosphere.

nitrogen fixation

the process of lightning or bacteria changing free nitrogen gas into usable nitrogen compounds such as nitrates that plants can absorb and use.

precipitation

any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface

condensation

the change of state from a gas to a liquid. This is what forms clouds in the atmosphere.

transpiration

evaporation of water from the leaves of plants

photosynthesis

conversion of light energy from the sun into the chemical energy of glucose. The process produces oxygen waste.

cellular respiration

process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen. The process produces carbon dioxide waste.

decomposition

the state or process of rotting. decomposition is responsible for recycling matter back into the environment.

denitrification

conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas by denitrification bacteria.

evaporation

the change of a substance from a liquid to a gas

fossil fuels

coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals

legumes

a group of plants that are part of nitrogen cycle; have nodules on their roots that house bacteria that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use (ex. soybeans)

runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

phosphorus cycle

phosphate in rocks enters the soil, the phosphate is absorbed by plans, the phosphates pass from organisms to organism in a food chain or food web, until decomposers recycle the phosphates into the soil again

water cycle

bodies of water evaporate, plants transpire, and animals respire water into the atmosphere. The water vapor cools and condenses into clouds then the water precipitates down as rain or snow. Some of the water runs off into bodies of water were it can be used by animals and some water percolates into the water table where it can be used by plants.

nitrogen cycle

unusable nitrogen gas in the atmosphere is fixed into usable nitrogen by lightning and bacteria. The usable nitrates are used by plants to make proteins. Animals consume the plants and each other to obtain nitrates. When consumers urinate or die decomposers return the nitrates to the soil.

carbon cycle

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is used by plants for photosynthesis. The plants use the carbon dioxide to make sugars (glucose) and release oxygen waste. All living organisms (including plants) use oxygen to break down sugars for energy in a process called cellular respiration. In the process they give off carbon dioxide waste.

TUNDRA abiotic factors

short, cool summers; long cold winters; little precipitation, nutrient-poor soil; has a permanently frozen layer of soil and ice(permafrost)

TUNDRA biotic factors

small shrubs, grasses, mosses, wild flowers, caribou, wolves, polar bears, musk oxen, artic fox, snowshoe hair

BOREAL/TAIGA FOREST abiotic factors

short, cool, wet summers; long, cold, dry winters, thin, nutrient-poor soil, acidic, soil is carried down mountains by streams

BOREAL/TAIGA FOREST biotic factors

spruce, fir and evergreen trees, moose, foxes, bears, chipmunks, lynx, ermine, wolves, birds in summer

ALPINE abiotic factors

snow covered mountains, short, cool summers; long cold winters; little precipitation, thin, nutrient-poor soil, large rocks

ALPINE biotic factors

small shrubs, mountain goats, sheep

DECIDUOUS FOREST abiotic factors

mild, wet summers; cold, wet winters, thick, nutrient-and organic rich soil, dark brown in color

DECIDUOUS FOREST biotic factors

trees that lose leaves in autumn, oak, birch, hickory and maple trees, deer, squirrels, rabbits, bears, frogs, snakes, birds, insects

GRASSLAND abiotic factors

hot summers; cold winters; some rain, thick, nutrient-rich soil, light-brown to red in color

GRASSLAND biotic factors

grasses, shrubs, mice, prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, snakes, birds

CHAPARRAL abiotic factors

low elevation hills, hot, dry summers; mild, rainy winters, thin, nutrient-poor soil, sand and small rocks

CHAPARRAL biotic factors

shrubs, some small trees, sagebrush, foxes, rabbits, coyotes, road runners, skunks, birds

DESERT abiotic factors

hot, dry, summers; short, cool winters; very little precipitation, sandy or coarse-grained, high mineral content in soil

DESERT biotic factors

cacti, shrubs, yucca, bunch grass, lizards, small rodents, snakes, insects

TROPICAL RAINFOREST abiotic factors

warm all year long; long wet season and short dry season, thick, nutrient-poor soil; acidic, dense plant growth use up available nutrients quickly

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST biotic factors

tall trees with wide leaves, vines, snakes, butterflies, chimpanzees, insects, large diversity of plants and animals

SAVANNA abiotic factors

hot; fairly dry; alternating wet and dry seasons, thin, nutrient-poor soil, with cement-like layer beneath soil

SAVANNA biotic factors

baobab tree, gum tree, acacia tree, thorn bushes, grasses, lions, wildebeests, elephants, zebra, hyena, cheetah, giraffe

POLAR ICE abiotic factors

very cold, very short summers, ice floes, soil is covered by ice most of the year

POLAR ICE biotic factors

very small shrubs, penguins, polar bears, stoats, lichens, migratory species

FRESHWATER LAKE location

small to large bodies of water surrounded by land

FRESHWATER LAKE characteristics

vary greatly in the amount of dissolved oxygen and nutrients, and the types of organisms they can support

FRESHWATER LAKE organisms

aquatic plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton, invertebrates; where there is enough oxygen, fishes

RIVER location

moving freshwater

RIVER characteristics

vary in water temperature, and water nutrients are dependent upon location

RIVER organisms

phytoplankton, rooted plants, fishes, and invertebrates

ESTUARY location

transition zone between river mouth and marine biome

ESTUARY characteristics

brackish (salty) water from mixing with seawater, salinity changes with tides

ESTUARY organisms

aquatic grasses and algae, invertebrates, food species such as crabs and oysters

WETLAND location

shallow basins, in river flood zones, along coasts of lakes and oceans

WETLAND characteristics

may be freshwater or saltwater, may be dry part of the year

WETLAND organisms

invertebrates, shore birds, and other predators

INTERTIDAL location

area of the shore between low and high tide lines

INTERTIDAL characteristics

periodic changes in exposure to air, salinity, and temperature; pounding force of ocean waves; organisms may bury in sand or mud

INTERTIDAL organisms

large algae; small fishes; invertebrates such as sea stars, mollusks, worms, clams, and crustaceans

PELAGIC location

vast waters of the open ocean

PELAGIC characteristics

light in the upper layer, allowing photosynthesis; most organisms in this upper region, nutrient-poor water

PELAGIC organisms

phytoplankton, zooplankton, fishes, marine mammals, turtles, and squid and other invertebrates

BENTHIC/ABYSSAL location

seafloor, deepest regions are called abyssal zones

BENTHIC/ABYSSAL characteristics

no sunlight except on sloping seafloor along coasts; at lowest depths, cold temperatures and high pressure; organic matter drops from pelagic zone

BENTHIC/ABYSSAL organisms

invertebrates such as crabs and worms, and fishes; some adapted to complete darkness

CORAL REEF location

upper layers of tropical pelagic

CORAL REEF characteristics

structure built up of coral skeletons over long periods of time

CORAL REEF organisms

corals, fish, and invertebrates; high species diversity

Ecology

The study of the relationship of an organism to another organism and their surroundings

Biosphere

Parts of Earth where life exists

Community

A group of different species of organisms living in the same place. Simple: group of several species in a common location. Ex. forest of trees and plants with animals living in it and bacteria in the soil

Species

A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding

Population

All the inhabitants of the same species in a particular area

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment; includes both biotic and abiotic factors

Biome

Large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups.

Biotic

Anything that is or was living. Ex. Trees, flowers, insects

Abiotic

Physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms; in other words, have never been [associated] with living

Habitat

The natural environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. Simple: The natural home of an organism. Ex. frog in a pond, caterpillar on a leaf in a tree

Trophic Level

Any class of organisms that occupy the same position in a food chain: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers

Producer/Autotroph

Organisms that obtain energy from sunlight and get nutrients from carbon dioxide. Ex. PLANTS and some BACTERIA

Consumer/Heterotroph

An organism that cannot manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in organic substances, usually plant or animal matter

Herbivore

An organism that only eats plants to obtain its energy. Ex. A cow eating grass

Carnivore

An organism that only eats meat to obtain its energy. Ex. A wolf eating a deer

Omnivore

An organism that eats a variety of both plants and meat to obtain its energy

Detritus

Waste or debris of any kind left behind by all organisms

Decomposer

Consumer that returns unused resources and nutrients to soil through digestion outside of the body; return nutrients for the producers to use

Food Web

A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains; typically displaying all of the possible food chains in an ecosystem

Food Chain

A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food

Pyramid of energy

A graphical model showing the transfer of energy between one organism to another in an ecosystem-the amount of energy received by each organism above on the pyramid decreases each time

Biomass Pyramid

An accurate indication of how much living material is passed on at each trophic level- decreases each time as the pyramid gets taller

Evaporation

The changing of a liquid into a gas, often under the influence of heat

Transpiration

The process where plants absorb water through the roots and then give off water vapor through pores in their leaves

Biogeochemical cycle

A pathway by which a chemical substance moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) compartments of Earth

Nitrogen Fixation

The conversion of N2 [atmospheric nitrogen; nitrogen gas] to NH4+ [organic compounds; ammonium] and then nitrite to nitrate, a form of N which plants can use

Algal bloom

A rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system; resulting in colored scum on the surface of the body of water

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient that is vital to a species; therefore, when in low amounts or in complete absence the species begins to weaken or grow slower

Ecological Succession

A series of changes over time in the types of organisms in an ecosystem

Primary Succession

The appearance of organisms in an area previously devoid of life and soil, such as a lava flow or quarrying

Pioneer species

The first stages of ecological succession. Common species include lichens, bacteria, and fungi. These species usually have the ability to survive in harsh environments while others can't

Secondary Succession

A change in a community's species' composition following a disturbance

Photic zone

Also known as the 'sunlit zone', the area in bodies of water in which sunlight can penetrate through, typically 200 m from the surface of the water body. Organisms who are producers (through photosynthesis) are found on this layer/zone

Aphotic zone

Anything under the photic zone; where there is slight to no sunlight. No photosynthesizing organisms are found here

Symbiosis

A usually long term, close interaction between two organisms of different species

Predator-prey relationship

When predators consume prey, while prey are consumed by predators. The populations of both prey and predators constantly increase and decrease- keeps a healthy balance

Mutualism

A relationship between two organisms ,of different species, in which both species benefit from the interaction

Commensalism

An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other receives no harm or benefit

Parasitism

A non-mutual relationship between two organisms in different species in which the parasite benefits from the interaction with the host, and the host is harmed