AP Environmental Science: Ecosystems Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from the AP Environmental Science lecture on ecosystems, providing definitions for important terms related to ecological interactions, productivity, and biogeochemical cycles.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their interactions with the nonliving components of their environment.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between two different species in an ecosystem.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Predation

An ecological relationship where one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).

Competition

An interaction between organisms or species in which both the organisms are harmed while competing for a limited resource.

Resource Partitioning

The division of resources by species to lessen competition in an ecological niche.

Primary Productivity

The rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy captured by photosynthesis in a given area.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers in a given area, after the energy lost to respiration is subtracted.

10% Rule

In trophic transfer, only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next.

Trophic Level

Each of the levels in a food chain or food web, occupied by different groups of organisms.

Biogeochemical Cycle

A cycle that describes the movement of elements and compounds through biotic and abiotic components of the Earth.

Eutrophication

The excessive richness of nutrients in a water body, often due to runoff from land, leading to plant growth and oxygen depletion.

Carbon Cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process of converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into ammonia, a form usable by plants.

Phosphorus Cycle

The movement of phosphorus through the environment, often limited to soil and water since it does not have a gaseous phase.

Hydrologic Cycle

The continuous cycle that describes the movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Freshwater Biomes

Aquatic biomes characterized by low salt concentrations, including rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.

Marine Biomes

Aquatic biomes that are saltwater and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries.