Biology- Nutrient cycling

Ecosystem Ecology

how energy and matter are transferred between living abiotic and biotic components of the enviroment

Biogeochemical cycles

track matter(atoms) as they are transferred between living(“bio”) and non-living(“geo”) components of the environment

Carbon Fixation

atmospheric Co2 fixed into organic molecules (during photosynthesis) abiotic to biotic

Co2 is released by organisms after what?

Celluar respiration

Over millions of years carbon from organic molecules is converted into?

Fossil fuels (coal and petroleum)

Burning fossil fuels release what back into the atmosphere

CO2

What impacts do humans have on the Nitrogen cycle

1) Deforestation 2) animal consumption 3) Agriculture 4) burning of fossil fuels

what are Greenhouse gases?

Carbon dioxide and methane, remember they are not trapped, they are trapping heat

What does range shifts results from?

Niche tracking - as condition change, populations may move to new places (usually north, or up in elevation to find more suitable conditions

Phenology

Study of timing of ecological events (migration, breeding,f lowering)

Extinction

the dying out of a species when it can no longer adapt to environmental changes, disease, or competition.

Sea level rise

effects of climate change of humans

Human health

effects on humans from climate change

Nitrogen fixation/nitrification

bacteria in soil uses Ne to synthesize ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (N2)

Denitrification

other prokaryotes produced enegry from converting nitrate to N2

Human influence in the Nitrogen cycle

1)deforestation/land use change 2) fertilizers 3) Human/Animal waste - sewage disposal, agriculture

What is nutrient retention high in?

Natural frosted ecosystems

Eutrophucation

the addition of excess nutrients that can lead to increased primary production followed by a “dead zone”

Conservation Biology

a goal oriented science which relies on ecological knowledge

Biodiversity

can be measured and analyzed on serval levels

Genetic diversity

total genetic variation combined within a species

Why does genetic diversity matter?

adaptive potential, and inbreeding depression

Inbreeding depression

breeding between genetically similar individuals leads to the loss of genetic diversity over time

Polymorphism

when a population contains multiple allies for a given gene

Biodiversity

can be measured and analyzed on serval levels

Species Diversity

number of species in an area on Earth

Endemic Species

found nowhere else in the world but in the area their in

Diverse ecosystems are more blank, and blank, to disturbances

resistant and resilient

Ecosystem Servies

provisioning, regulation, supporting, cultural

provisiong

Supply food and clean water

Regulation

buffering against change in climate, weather, disease etc..

Supporting

Pollinators, Nutrient cycling, detritivores

Cultutal

Spiritual and recreational uses

Bioremediation

ecosystems can metabolixe some toxin and render the harmless

Habitat loss

most important factor in decline of of species,(habitat destruction and fragmentation)

overexploitation

reduction of N to unsustainable levels

Invasive species

Exotic species, Grown to lager population sizes, Disrupt native species

How do you prevent loss of biodiversity?

1) protect species and habits 2) Encourage gene flow 3) captive breeding programs 4) Restoration ecology 5) invasive species control

Evolution

change in allele frequencies

Evolutionary Forces

process by which allele frequencies might change in a population

Decent with modification

the mechanism by which populations can change across generations

Fitness

usually measured as numbers of offspring produced in a lifetime

Darwins Postulates

1) population is variable 2) variation is heritable 3) differences in survival/reproduction 4)Survival/ reproduction is based on variation

Artificial selection

human preference is the selective pressure

Natural selection

the environment is the selective pressure

Stabilizing selection

removes phenotypes at both extremes

disruptive selection

removes intermediate phenotypes

Negative Frequency-dependent selection

fitness is inversely related to frequency in populations