Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits, the other is indifferent
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits, the other suffers
Competition
Interaction between organisms, populations, or species, in which survival is biased on sharing limited resources
Resource partitioning
Organisms, species, or populations separating to not compete for the same resource. Species can also adapt to take advantage of other resources.
Temporal Partitioning
Hunting/resource gathering at different times of the day to avoid competition
Spatial Partitioning
Species, organisms, or populations living in different areas to not use the resource
Morphological Partitioning
Species adapting and evolving to be able to take advantage of unused resources
Biome
A distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate.
Temperate rainforests
Forests with coniferous or broadleaf trees in temperate climates with lots of rain. Located mostly on coasts and on mountains in areas between the poles and the equator. Annual precipitation is 140cm/55in and temperatures range from 4-12°c/ 39-54°f. The canopy covers most of the sky for the layers underneath. These forests don't require fire to regenerate.
Taiga
Forests in cold, subarctic regions like northern Canada and Russia. Temperature ranges from -5 - 5°c/ 23 - 41°f, record low temperatures reach -50°c/-56°f. Annual precipitation is between 250-750mm/ 8-30in.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Forests that show the change in seasons with the loss and regrowth of leaves, located on USA coasts, most of Europe, and the coasts of South America, China, and Australia. Temperature ranges from -30 - 30°c/ -22 - 86°f. Annual precipitation ranges from 750-1500mm/30-59in
Tropical Rainforests
Warm dense rainforests found in areas with no dry season, these areas are within 10 degrees of the equator. Annual precipitation ranges from 2,000-10,000mm/ 79-394in. Temperature ranges from 20-29°c/ 68-84°f
Shrubland
Any biome that contains vegetation mostly of shrubs/short trees.
Grassland
Areas with few trees/ plant diversity, the flora is mostly different grasses. Located in temperate regions with little rain. Annual precipitation ranges from 500-900cm/ 20-35in. Temperature ranges from -20-30°c/ -4-86°f
Savana
Grassy landscape with clusters of trees located in eastern Brazil, most of Africa, India, and northern Australia. Annual precipitation ranges from 500-1270mm/ 20-50in. Temperature ranges from 20-30°c/ 68-86°f
Deserts
Areas that contain little to no rainfall, commonly near the equator and the poles due to the wind/rain patterns. Average annual precipitation is around 250mm/10in. Temperature ranges from -4-38°c/ 25-100°f
Tundra
Barren landscape with little nutrients, and because they are at the poles, half of the year is in darkness, the other half is sunlight. (no sunsets). Temperature ranges from -40-18°c/ -40-64°f. Annual precipitation ranges from 150-250mm/ 6-10in
Describe the global distribution of water
97% is saltwater, 3% is freshwater. Of the 3% freshwater, 69% is in glaciers, 30% is underground, and 1% is lakes, rivers, and swamps. 87% is in lakes, 11% swamps, 2% rivers
Identify the factors that impact the global distribution of trees
Latitude (affects rain, sunlight, soil.) altitude because the higher up, the rockier the surface is.
Streams
Streams account for 0.001% of earth's water, and refers to networks of channelized flow. Streams start at springs, snowmelts, lakes and usually channel water to the ocean. Temp is cooler at the source than the mouth, water is clearer, high oxygen. Animals depend on the size of the stream. The mouth is typically murkier due to nutrients and algae algae sediments picked up, making flora less common
Ponds and lakes
Range from square meters to thousands of km2. Some are seasonal that come with rain or flooding. Because ponds and lakes are often separated from other sources of water, making the diversity is limited. They are divided a into zones based photosynthesis and depth. Temp can range from 4-22°c / 39-71°f in the summer, and during the winter, the bottom can be 4°c/ 39°f while the top is frozen
Wetland
Ecosystems that are temporally either seasonally or permanently flooded. Plants specifically adapt to live in wetlands, and water can be fresh, brackish, or saltwater, which creates (permanently or seasonally saturated with water). They occur in temperate zones, such as the south, southern bBrazil/northern Argentina, the Isles, Spain, France, Italy, the Baltics, north India, southeastern China, eastern Australia, and southern Africa. Wetlands in temperate zones range from - 50-50°C/ -58-122°F, but an average are around 11°c/52°F. Wetlands in the Isles get 1500mm/ 59in in rain per year, and in india can get up to 10,000 mm/ 390in. Humans have destroyed many wetlands to build cities.
Carbon Source
Burning of fossil fuels like gas, coal and oil, deforestation, and volcanic eruptions
Carbon Sink
Anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases. For example, plants, the ocean and soil.
Major Nitrogen Reservoir
Most of the nitrogen in the earth systems is in the atmosphere where it makes up 78% of the air we breathe
Nitrogen Fixation
The process of nitrogen to combine chemically with other elements to create more reactive compounds such as a ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. Ammonia is used as a synthetic fertilizer.
Identify the major reservoirs of phosphorus
Rock and deep ocean sediments
Describe the process of infiltration
Precipitation that soaks into the soil
Identify the primary reservoirs of water
The oceans
Condensation
Gas → liquid
Evaporation
Liquid → gas
Sublimation
Solid → gas (no liquid)
Deposition
Gas → solid (no liquid)
Runoff
Water that cannot absorb into the ground, and makes its way into streams, rivers, lakes, the ocean, or in urban settings, drains.
Primary Productivity
The rate at which solar energy (sunlight) is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time
Equation for Net Primary Productivity
Net Primary Productivity (NPP) = Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) - Respiration (R)
Gross primary productivity
The total amount of energy a plant creates
Respiration loss in words
The oxygen released by the plant
Net primary productivity
The left over energy after respiration
Identify the initial energy source for a trophic pyramid
The sun
Trophic pyramid
a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or bioproductivity at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
Identify the first four levels of a trophic pyramid
Producer (photosynthesis), Primary consumers (eats producers), Secondary consumers (eats primary consumers), Tertiary consumers (eats secondary consumers), And the cycle continues
Identify the level that has the most biomass
Producers
10% rule
When energy is being transferred from one trophic level to the next, only 10% of the energy will be passed on.
Food Web
Several connected food chains, every organism has several connections, and generally covering a whole ecosystem
Food Chain
A graph showing predator/prey relationships, but there is only one predator for every prey. A who-eats-who graph but there is only one organism per level