chapter 4 biology exam

human activity

processes such as mining, the burning of fossil fluels, the clearing of land for building and farming, the burning of forests, and the manufacture and use of fertilizers

evaporation

liquid water in lakes, streams, and the ocean turns into water vapor and moves into the atmosphere

geological process

examples of these processes include volcanic eruptions and the formation and erosion of rocks

transpiration

water vapor passes into the atmosphere as it exits plants

chemical and physical processes

processes such as the formation of clouds, precipitation, the flow of running water and ice, and the action of lightning

nitrogen fixation

bacteria use this process to change atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia and other nitrogen-containing compounds

biogeochemical cycle

cycle of matter

denitrification

bacteria use this process to obtain energy by changing nitrates to nitrogen gas that returns to the atmosphere

precipitation

water falls from the atmosphere to the surface of the Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain, etc.

biological process

processes that consist of any activity performed by living organisms

nutrient

any chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life activities

condensation

wapor vapor in the atmosphere changes from a gas to a liquid/solid to form clouds

limiting nutrient

any essential nutrient that is in short supply, therefore it limits the productivity of the ecosystem

chemosynthesis

the process in which autotrophs use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

heterotrophs

organisms that rely on other organisms that they eat for their energy and food

detritivores

organisms that feed on dead/decaying matter - i.e. earthworms

autotrophs

organisms that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use that energy to produce food

carnivores

organisms that eat only other consumers - i.e. wolves

scavengers

organisms that consume the carcasses of other consumers

photosynthesis

the process in which autotrophs capture light energy and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugars

omnivores

organisms that eat both producers and consumers - i.e. bears

decomposers

organisms that break down organic matter - i.e. fungi

herbivores

organisms that obtain energy by eating only producers - i.e. cows

autotrophs are also called

primary producers

uses solar energy for the process of

photosynthesis

uses chemical energy for the process of

chemosynthesis

meat eating

carnivore

detritus producing

decomposer

plant eating

herbivore

detritus feeding

detritivore

eats carcasses

scavenger

eats plants and animals

omnivore

the process known as chemosynthesis

Organisms that can produce their own food without needing sunlight are capable of

no

Are producers capable of creating their own energy?

food web

a network of all the food chains in an ecosystem

zooplankton

small aquatic animals that feed on algae

ecological pyramid

a diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web

food chain

a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

trophic level

each step in a food chain or food web

biomass

the total amount of living tissue at a trophic level

phytoplankton

floating algae that are at the base of aquatic food chains

within each trophic level in a given food web

Ecological pyramids show the relative amount of energy or matter contained

pyramid of biomass

llustrates the relative amount of living organic matter available at each trophic level in an ecosystem

pyramid of numbers

shows the relative numbers of individual organisms at the trophic levels in an ecosystem

pyramid of energy

shows the relative amounts of energy available at the trophic levels of a food chain or food web

it creates heat and is dispersed

What happens to energy that is not passed on to the next trophic level in a food chain or food web?

10% rule

The 10% rules shows us that each tropic level can only pass on 10% of energy to the next level

cycles

Matter moves through an ecosystem in

the remains of dead organisms

The carbon in coal, oil, and natural gas came from

Decomposers break the body down into simpler compounds

How does most of the carbon in an organism’s body return to the environment after the organism dies?

Human processes mainly contribute to the

Human processes mainly contribute to the

in the soil

where is nitrogen found

nitrogen gas into nitrates

Nitrogen fixation is the process in which certain bacteria convert

Phosphate is released as ____ and ____ wear down.

rocks and sediments

phosphorus

what is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere

carbohydrates

All organisms require nitrogen to make amino acids, which in turn are used to build