Chapter 3 & 4 - Ecosystem Ecology & Global Climates and Biomes

Producers

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy. Also known as Autotroph.

Autotroph

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy. Also known as Producer

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose

Biosphere

The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth

Aerobic respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water

Cellular respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds

Anaerobic resporation

The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen.

Consumer

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms. Also known as Heterotroph

Heterotroph

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms. Also known as Consumer

Herbivores

A consumer that eats producers. Also known as Primary consumer.

Primary consumer

A consumer that eats producers. Also known as Herbivore

Carnivores

A consumer that eats other consumers.

Secondary consumer

A carnivore that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers.

Trophic levels

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another

Food chain

The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumer

Food web

complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic level

Scavenger

An organism that consumes dead animals

Detritivores

An organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles.

Decomposer

Fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) Equation

gross primary productivity - respiration by producers = NPP

Biomass

The total mass of all living matter in a specific area

Standing crop

The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

Ecological efficiency

The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

Trophic pyramid

A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels

Hydrologic cycle

The movement of water through the biosphere

Transpiration

The release of water from leaves during photosynthesis.

Biochemical cycle

The movements of matter within and between ecosystems

Evapotranspiration

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

Runoff

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

Carbon cycle

The movement of carbon around the biosphere.

Limiting nutrient

A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

Nitrogen cycle

The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere

Nitrogen fixation

A process by which some organisms can convert nitrogen gas molecules directly into ammonia.

Nitrification

The conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-).

Assimilation

The process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues.

Mineralization

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds

Ammonification

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4)

Denitrification

The conversion of nitrate (NO3-) in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and, eventually, nitrogen gas (N2), which is emitted into the atmosphere.

Leaching

The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater.

Phosphorus cycle

The movement of phosphorus around the biosphere

Algal bloom

A rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway.

Hypoxic

Low in oxygen

Sulfur cycle

The movement of sulfur around the biosphere.

Disturbance

An event, caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition

Resistance

A measure of how much a disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

Resilience

The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Restoration ecology

The study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems

Watershed

All land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland

intermediate disturbance hypothesis

The hypothesis that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels

Troposphere

A layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth, extending up to approximately 16 km (10 miles)

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly 16 to 50 km (10-31 miles) above the surface of Earth

Albedo

The percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface

Saturation point

The maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature

Adiabatic cooling

The cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands

Adiabatic heating

The heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume

Latent heat release

The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water.

Atmospheric convection current

Global patterns of air movement that are initiated by the unequal heating of Earth

Hadley cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S

Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)

The latitude that receives the most intense sunlight, which causes the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells to converge

Polar cell

A convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60° N and 60° S and sinks at the poles, 90° N and 90° S

Ferrell cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells

Coriolis effect

The deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth

Rain shadow

A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

Gyre

A large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Upwelling

The upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents

Thermohaline circulation

An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

A reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific

Terrestrial biome

A geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land.

Aquatic biome

An aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow.

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

Boreal forest

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons.

Temperate rainforest

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

Temperate seasonal forest

A biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m (39 inches) of precipitation annually

Woodland/shrubland

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters

Temperate grassland/cold desert

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.

Tropical rainforest

A warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation

Tropical seasonal forest/savanna

A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons

Subtropical desert

A biome prevailing at approximately 30° N and 30° S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation

Littoral zone

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow

Limnetic zone

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds

Phytoplankton

Floating algae

Profundal zone

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes

Benthic zone

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of productivity

Mesotrophic

Describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity

Eutrophic

Describes a lake with a high level of productivity

Freshwater wetlands

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

Salt marsh

A marsh containing non-woody emergent vegetation, found along the coast in temperate climates

Mangrove swamp

A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.

Intertidal zone

The narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide

Coral reef

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline

Coral reef

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline.

Coral bleaching

A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white

Open ocean

Deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

Photic zone

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis

Aphotic zone

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

Chemosynthesis

A process used by some bacteria in the ocean to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide