IB HL BIO YR 2 UNIT ONE-A

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climate change, consumers/producers, ecosystems, sustainability

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146 Terms

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Ecosystem
multiple communities interacting with their nonliving environment, biotic & abiotic factors in an area
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Deforestation
the action of clearing a wide area of trees, mostly for farm land, reduces amount of photosynthesis occurring -> less CO2 absorbed
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Tipping Points
The critical threshold of a change that results in a significant and often irreversible change in an ecosystem’s structure, function or composition
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Percentage Change
[ (final-initial) / initial ] x 100
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Mesocosm
used in ecological research to allow scientists to investigate a variety of issues, create conditions that mimic possible changes in climate and see how it impacts ecosystem
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Keystone Species
species that have a disproportionately large impact on the community compared to their abundance or biomass, presence or absence deeply affect the stability of the ecosystem
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Sustainable Harvest
the rate of harvesting is lower than the rate of replacement
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Sustainable Fishing
harvesting fish at a sustainable rate so that the fish population doesn’t decline over time, uses selective methods to maximize fish capture without fish populations declining
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Maximum Sustainable Yield
largest harvest that can be sustained over time without a decrease in population
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Eutrophication
the process of water bodies become enriched with excessive nutrients (nitrogen & phosphorus), leads to an overgrowth of algae & etc aquatic plants, can disrupt balance of ecosystem
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Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by aerobic bacteria growing on the organic material present in a water sample, increases with higher populations of aerobic bacteria
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Bioaccumulation
the gradual buildup of chemical substances in the tissues of organisms over time
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Biomagnification
the increase in concentration of the pollutant in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain
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DDT
insecticide, gradually biomagnifies, has larger impact on birds of prey (osprey) because it weakens egg shells
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Minamata Disease
neurological disease caused by biomagnification of methylmercury in an ecosystem, first discovered in japan
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Microplastics
produced by physical breakdown of big pieces, > 1 mm across
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Macroplastics
large, visible debris, < 1 mm across
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Biodegradable
capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, doesn't cause pollution over time
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Non-Biodegradable
not capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, stays around for forever, causes pollution
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Apex Predator
a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own, highest trophic level, typically also keystone species
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Rewilding

an approach to conservation & ecosystem restoration

involves reintroducing & restoring natural processes to ecosystems

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Wildlife/Living Corridors
connects two habitats that have been separated (typically by roads), increases biodiversity, makes habitats more resistant to change, allows migration, expands habitat range
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Climate Change
long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns
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Anthropogenic
caused by humans
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Global Warming
overall rise in temperature over decades in the entire world
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Correlation
a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things
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Positive Correlation
a relationship between two separate variables that move together in the same direction
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Negative Correlation
a relationship between two separate variables that move together in different directions
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Causation
one event is the result of the occurrence of the other event
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Positive Feedback Loop
a change in a given direction causes additional change in the same direction
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Decomposition
the process by which dead organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter
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Permafrost
a permanently frozen layer on or under Earth's surface, very good carbon sink, when it melts -> releases CO2 into the atmosphere
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Boreal Forest
carbon sink, contains more carbon in its soil because it is too cold to decompose quickly, may be near tipping point & become a carbon source (trees stop photosynthesis at high temperatures → absorbing less carbon → trees die and decompose)
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Taiga
at a tipping point, trees are trying to move north to be in a colder climate, can't keep up with rapid rising temperatures
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Carbon Sink

absorb more carbon than it emits

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Sea Ice
ice formed from salt water
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Landfast Ice
ice formed on land from fresh water and snow
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Ice Floe
large stable masses of free floating ice
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Nutrient Upwelling
the process by which cold nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface of the ocean, crucial mechanism for the supply of essential nutrients to upper layers of the ocean, impacted by changing ocean currents and wind (climate change)
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Poleward Range Shift
movement towards poles, ex
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Upslope Range Shift

movementent higher up in the atmosphere

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Coral Reef
an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals, contain about 25% of all marine life, very biodiverse
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Zooxanthellae
microscopic algae capture sunlight and convert it into energy to provide essential nutrients to the corals
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Mutualism

association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits

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Ocean Acidification
the ocean’s pH is decreasing as more CO2 is diffused into the ocean, more hydrogen ions break up the CaCO3 in coral
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pH
lower = more acidic, higher = more basic
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Coral Bleaching
rising temperatures stress corals, corals release zooxanthellae (lose food & color source), don't die instantly but will eventually die of starvation
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Afforestation
establishment of forests where there wasn't one previously
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Carbon Sequestration
process of capturing and storing CO2 from the atmosphere, causes formation of carbon sinks, can be natural or anthropogenic, most efficiently done by forests
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Peat
organic matter, not fully decomposed because of either an acidic environment and/or anaerobic conditions in water logged soils
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Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
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Ecosystem Diversity
variety of ecosystems found in an area or on the planet
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Species Diversity
number and relative abundance of species found within an ecosystem
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Genetic Diversity

variety of genes and alleles present in a species

higher ____ = more likely to survive changes to the environment

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Species
a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring
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Extinction
the complete disappearance of a species from Earth
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Anthropogenic
caused by humans
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Habitat
the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism
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Pollution
chemicals, particles, or other materials are released into the environment, are harming the organisms there
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Overexploitation
when a living resource is removed from the environment at a rate faster than it can be replaced
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Invasive Species
species introduced into new environments by humans (accidentally or deliberately), disrupt existing food chains, reproduce quickly, spread aggressively, outcompete native species
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Deforestation
the action of clearing a wide area of trees, mostly for farm land, reduces amount of photosynthesis occurring -> less CO2 absorbed
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Agriculture
the science of raising plants and/or animals for food, clothing or other useful products, he practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
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Richness
number of different species in a particular area
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Evenness
how close the population numbers of various species are to each other
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Simpson’s Diversity Index
D = 1 - ((∑ n(n-1)) / (N(N-1))), D = diversity, higher means more diverse, N = total number of organisms, n = number of organisms in a particular species
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Citizen Scientists
a member of the general public who collects and analyzes data relating to the natural world, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists
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Urbanization
the process of making an area more urban
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Ex Situ Conservation
the process of protecting an endangered species, variety, or breed of plant or animal outside its natural habitat
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In Situ Conservation
the process of protecting an endangered species, variety, or breed of plant or animal inside its natural habitat
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Seed Bank
stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity
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Nature Reserve
a tract of land managed so as to preserve its flora, fauna, and physical features
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Rewilding

an approach to conservation & ecosystem restoration, involves reintroducing & restoring natural processes to ecosystems

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Evolutionarily Distinct
the things that distinguish two species, the point at which two species become different and no longer to reproduce, happens through evolution
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Globally Endangered
a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range
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Autotrophs
primary producers, organisms capable of synthesizing organic molecules from inorganic ones that can be broken down into atp
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Photosynthesis
takes atmospheric carbon and synthesizes organic molecules, takes in carbon
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Photoautotrophs
organisms that synthesize organic molecules from atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis
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Chemoautotrophs
live in sunlight-limited environments, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, obtain energy through oxidation of inorganic compounds
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Heterotrophs
an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients
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Food Chain
models that illustrate the transfer of energy/biomass, can't fully capture the complexity of feeding relationships, typically only 4-5 trophic levels long, amount of available energy decreases going up food chain because of inefficient energy conversions
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Food Web
models that consist of many interconnected food chains, more complete description of complexity of transfer of energy/biomass
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Consumers
cant produce own organic molecules and rely on consuming other organisms/organic matter to obtain energy/nutrients, use internal digestion (ingestion of food and then digestion)
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Biomass
the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume
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Organic Matter
matter composed of organic compounds that have come from the feces and remains of organisms such as plants and animals
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Decomposers
break down dead organisms and organic matter, extract energy/nutrients from decaying materials such as leaf litter, wood, carcasses, and feces, ex
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Saprotroph
obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms through external digestions, secrete hydrolytic enzymes to break down complex organic compounds into simpler ones then absorb and assimilate the nutrients into own body tissues
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Detritivores

decomposers that obtain nutrients from detritus by internal digestions

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Primary Consumer
herbivores/omnivores, transfer energy from producers to higher-level consumers
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Secondary Consumer
feed on primary consumers, carnivores
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Tertiary Consumer
animals that eat the secondary consumers in a food chain, carnivores, typically apex predators/keystone species
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Trophic Levels

represents an organism's position in a food chain/web

defines its role in energy transfer

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Energy Pyramid
diagram to represent amount of energy available at each trophic level, indicates the amount of energy units per area per time (kJ m-2 year-1)
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Primary Productivity
rate at which producers accumulate carbon compounds in their biomass, measured in m-2 year-1, varies by region and season, more sun/water/ nutrient-rich soil means higher primary productivity
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Secondary Productivity
rate at which consumers accumulate carbon compounds as a part of their own biomass
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Carbon Sink
reservoirs that store carbon, any environment that absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases, essential for counteracting greenhouse gas emissions, ex
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Carbon Source

locations/processes that release more carbon into the atmosphere than they absorb

contribute to the increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide

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Carbon Flux
movement of carbon through the atmosphere
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Photosynthesis
takes atmospheric carbon and synthesizes organic molecules, takes in carbon
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Respiration
carbon goes from producers to atmosphere, carbon source