AP Environmental Unit 1

Population

group of individuals of the same species

Community

all living organisms in an area

Ecosystem

all living and nonliving things in an area

Biome

all plants and animals found in a given region

Competition

organisms fighting over resources

Predation

one individual uses another for energy source

Mutualism

relationship that benefits both individuals

Commensalism

benefits one, doesn’t impact the other

Parasitoids

lay eggs inside host; eggs hatch and larvae eat host for energy

parasites

use host for energy, often without killing the host

Symbiosis

2 things that work together closely long term

What is an example of mutualism?

Coral reef- coral provides reef structure and CO2 for algae, which provides sugars for coral

Resource partitioning

different species use the same resource in different ways to reduce competition

Temporal partitioning

species use resources at different times (night vs. day)

Spacial partitioning

using different areas of a shared habitat

morphological partitioning

using different resources based on different evolved body features

What are biome characteristics that can help predict where they’re found?

Latitude, temperature and precipitation,

Tropical rainforest

nutrient poor soil from high temp and rapid decomposition leads to nutrient leaching

Boreal forest

nutrient poor soil from low temp and low decomposition rate

Temperate forest

nutrient rich soil from warmth and lots of dead organic matter

Littoral

shallow water with emergent plants

Limnetic

where light can reach, no rooted plants, only phytoplankton

Profundal

too deep for sunlight, no photosynthesis

Benthic

murky bottom where bugs live, nutrient rich

Intertidal zone

narrow piece of coastline between high and low tide

Photic zone

area where the sunlight can reach

Aphotic zone

area that’s too deep for sunlight

Carbon Cycle

very quick, movement of carbon molecules between sources and sinks