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just the apes unit 1 vocab from quizlet -> knowt
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Abiotic factors
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Predation
Process by which individuals of one species (predators) capture, kill, and consume individuals of another species (prey).
Predator
An animal that hunts other animals for food.
Biotic factors
Living parts of an ecosystem.
Prey
Organism that is killed and eaten by another organism.
Symbiosis
Close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.
Mutualism
Relationship between two species in which both species benefit.
Commensalism
Relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.
Parasitism
Relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed.
Competition
Common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource.
Resource partitioning
Process by which species use different resources or use shared resources in different ways.
Fundamental niche
The niche species could potentially occupy.
Realized niche
The niche species actually occupies.
Interspecies competition
Competition for resources between different species.
Biome
Major regional complex of similar communities recognized by plant type and vegetation structure.
Terrestrial biome
Biomes that are found on land (e.g., tundra, taiga, grassland).
Climate
Average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time.
Climatograph
A climate diagram showing an area's mean monthly temperature and precipitation.
Latitude
Distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Longitude
Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
Altitude
Elevation above sea level.
Aquatic biomes
Freshwater and marine biomes.
Freshwater biomes
Lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands.
Marine biomes
Ocean, coral reefs, marshlands, and estuaries.
Salinity
The total amount of dissolved salts in a water sample.
Turbidity
Measure of how clear water is.
Reservoir
Where nutrients or water are stored for varying amounts of time.
Source
A pool that releases more nutrients than it accepts.
Sink
A pool that accepts more nutrients than it releases.
Nitrogen fixation
Process by which nitrogen is combined with hydrogen to form ammonium, usable by plants.
Nitrification
The process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil.
Denitrification
Process in which nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas by bacteria.
Ammonification
Formation of ammonia compounds in the soil by the action of bacteria on decaying matter.
Eutrophication
Occurs when substances rich in nitrogen and phosphorus flow into waterways, causing algae growth.
Evaporation
A change of water from a liquid state to a gas.
Condensation
Change of water from a gas state to a liquid.
Transpiration
Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant.
Infiltration
Water filters through from the surface into the soil.
Percolation
Downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity.
Sublimation
Change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid.
Photosynthesis
Converts solar energy into chemical energy.
Chemosynthesis
Process by which some organisms use chemical energy to produce their own food.
Primary productivity
Rate in which solar energy is converted into organic compounds by photosynthesis.
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
Total rate of photosynthesis in a given area.
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
Rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers after subtracting energy lost to respiration.
Trophic levels
Each step in a food chain or food web.
10% rule
Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level.
1st law of thermodynamics
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only altered.
2nd law of thermodynamics
Energy cannot be changed from one form to another without a loss of usable energy.
Producers
Organisms that make their own food.
Consumers
Organisms that eat living producers and/or other consumers for food.
Primary producers
Autotrophs, usually photosynthetic organisms, that support all other levels.
Primary consumer
Consumer that feeds directly on producers.
Secondary consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers.
Tertiary consumers
Carnivores that eat secondary consumers
Note 
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