Chapter 1-8 APES VOCAB

natural capital

natural resources (air, water, soil, land,life, renewable & nonrenewable energy) + natural services (air & water purification, water storage, soil renewal, nutrient recycling, etc.)

economic growth

inc in the capacity of a country to provide people w./ goods & services

gross domestic product (GDP)

the annual market value of all goods & services produced by all firms & orgs, foreign & domestic, operating withing a country; a country's GDP is normally measured by this

perpetual resource

continuous (sun)

renewable resource

can be replenished fairly rapidly (wind, forests, grasslands, wild animals, fresh water & air, fertile soil)

nonrenewable resource

in fixed supply. (oil, coal, natural gas)

tragedy of the commons

the degradation of renewable free-access resources (resources that are available to everyone like water & air)
ex.) exceeding the sustainable catch of an ocean fishery

ecological footprint

the amount of biologically productive land & water needed to supply an area w./ resources & to absorb the wastes & pollution produced by such resource use

per capita ecological footprint

the avg ecological footprint of an individual in an area

point pollution

single, identifiable sources
ex) smokestack of a coal burning power or industrial plant; the drainpipe of a factory; the exhaust pipe of an automobile

non-point pollution

larger, dispersed, & often difficult to identify
ex) pesticides sprayed into the air or blown by the wind into the atmosphere; runoff of fertilizers & pesticides from farmlands, golf courses; suburban lawns, etc.

frontier science

science that is controversial bc they haven't been widely tested & accepted by peer review

high through put economy

attempt to boost economic growth by increasing the one-way flow of matter & energy resources through their economic systems

low through put economy

works w./ nature by recycling & reusing; prevents pollution; decrease waste; controlling the population, & preserving biodiversity & ecological integrity

Realm of ecology (least to broadest)

1. organisms
2. populations
3. communities
4. ecosystems
5. biosphere

organism

any form of life

population

group of interacting individuals of the same species occupying a specific area

community

consists of all the populations of different species that live & interact in a particular area

ecosystem

a community where populations of different species interact w./ one another w./ their nonliving environment of matter & energy; where there's an interrelationship b/w biotic & abiotic factors

biosphere

all of the earth's ecosystems

biodiversity

Variety of different species (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals within each species (genetic diversity), variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity), and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities (functional diversity).

What sustains life on earth?

Solar energy, the cycling of matter, & gravity

trophic levels

1. sun
1. 1st-producers
2. primary consumers (herbivores)
3. secondary consumers (carnivores)
4. tertiary consumers (top carnivores)

energy efficiency

% of usable energy transferred as biomes from 1 tropic level to the next
-ranges from 5-20%; 10 is typical

the more tropic levels in a food chain/web...

the greater the cumulative loss of usable energy as energy flows through the various trophic levels

Percentage of energy loss w./ each transfer (trophic levels)

10%

heterotrophs

Organism that cannot synthesize the organic nutrients it needs and gets its organic nutrients by feeding on the tissues of producers or of other consumers

producers

Organism that uses solar energy or chemical energy to manufacture the organic compounds it needs as nutrients from simple inorganic compounds obtained from its environment

scavengers

Organisms that feed on dead organisms that were killed by other organisms or died naturally

detritivors

Consumer organisms that feed on detritus, parts of dead organisms, and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms

biomass

Organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem; plant materials and animal wastes used as fuel

pyramid of energy

Diagram representing the flow of energy through each trophic level in a food chain or food web

pyramid of numbers

A graphical representation in the form of a pyramid showing the feeding relationship and the number of organisms at each trophic level.

pyramid of biomass

A graphical representation to show the relative amounts of biomass at each trophic level.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

-rate at which an ecosystem's producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time
-rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass (photosynthesis)

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

the rate at which producers use photosynthesis to store energy minus the rate at which they use some of this energy through respiration (R)
GPP - R (respiration of plants)

Average NPP

the NPP of a certain area found using kcal/m^2/yr

High Avg NPP

Tropical ecosystems, swamps & marshes, rainforest, temperate rainforests

Low Avg NPP

deserts, savanna, tundra

total NPP

the NPP of the whole ecosystem

Range of Tolerance

Range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally

Law of Tolerance

The existence, abundance, and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by whether the levels of one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by the species

Tolerance Limit

Minimum and maximum limits for physical conditions and concentrations of chemical substances beyond which no members of a particular species can survive

Limiting Factor

Single factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of the population of a species in an ecosystem

mechanical weathering

weathering by freezng & cooling

chemical weathering

reacts w./ O2, acids, lichens

Soil Horizons

-Organic (O) Horizon: fresh or decaying organic matter (leaves, twigs, moss( accumulated on the ground (loss & partly decayed humus)

-A Horizon (topsoil):

top layer of soil, which holds most of the organic matter & most of the water & nutrients (mineral matter & some humus); infiltration-seeping of water down through soil

-E Horizon

zone through which leaching occurs (process by which infiltrated water picks up nutrients & carries them down to deeper soil)

-B Horizon (subsoil)

often contains accumulation of minerals & some organic materials

-C Horizon

composed of broken down parent material, the basic type of rock from which the rest of the soil is derived

-Bedrock: parent material below C horizon

Porosity

ability to hold water (most to least; dec)
gravel--> sand --> silt --> clay

permeability

ability/how much water goes through; "water holding capacity" (least to most)
clay --> silt --> sand --> gravel

loam

combo of all soil types plus humus

Natural Selection

process by which a particular beneficial gene (or set of genes) is reproduced in succeeding generations more than other genes

Evolution

change in genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations; can lead to the formation of a new species

effect of mutations in evolution

a mutation can be passed on to offspring. the mutation can be good for the offspring & if it is, the muatation will evolve & offspring w./ that trait will do well & live, while those w/o the trait will die

Conditions necessary for biological evolution

1.) genetic variability
2.) traits must be heritable
3.( must lead to differential reproduction (organisms best adapted will be reproduced)

microevolution

change in species

macroevolution

change of characteristics leading to new species formed (divergent evolution)

convergent evolution

2 unrelated species evolve the same characteristics

divergent evolution

2 related species developing different characteristics; new species formed

Coevolution

evolution in which 2 or more species interact & exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptions

Effect on evolution of the movement of tectonic plates

divergent evolution.. When continents move, so do species; tehy adapt to new conditions & form new species through natural selection. When continents join, populations can move to new areas & adapt to new environmental conditions. When continents separate, populations must evolve under isolated conditions or become exteinct

Niche

total way of life or role of a speices; includes all physicals, chemical, & biological conditions that a species needs to live & reproduce in an ecosystem

fundamental niche

the full potential range of physical, chemical & biological conditions & resources a species could theoretically use

realized niche

to survive & avoid competition, a species usually occupies only part of its fundamental niche

geographic isolation

can lead to reproductive isolation, divergence of gene pools & speciation

specialist species

occupy narrow niches; they may be able to live in only 1 type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic & other environmental conditions, or use few types of food

-K selected species

possess relatively stable populations fluctuating near the carrying capacity of the environment

selectivebreeding

the process of breeding plants & animals for particular gene traits

Effects of humans on biodiversity

ex) extinction

HIPPO

H-habitat loss
I-invasive species
P-pollution
P-(human) population
O- over exploitation

factors that determine climate

latitude, elevation, ocean currents

upwelling

movement of nutrient-rich bottom water to the ocean's surface; usually takes place along certain steep coastal areas where the surface layer of ocean water is pushed away from shore and replaced by cold, nutrient-rich bottom water

El Nino

tradewinds (east to west) die down and sometimes even reverse direction. When this happens, warm water moves toward South America and the convection process occurs, so the clouds and storms move to the central Pacific.

La Nina

very strong tradewinds; unusually cold ocean temp in the Pacific near the equator

Rain-shadow effect

The leeward side of the mountain is dry; biome is moist on windward side

Factors that determine biomes

(determined by precipitation & temperature) Latitude (surface winds), ocean currents (deep currents originate at poles; dense saltwater sinks), topography (orographic effect: moist air is lifted and then rains; rain shadow effect)

Limiting factors of the biomes

the amount of available food, water, space, and shelter

adaptions of plants & animals in the various biomes

Desert-must survive with little water and have adaptions to stay cool, Deciduous forests-survive winter by dropping leaves, Coniferous-evergreen trees that keep their needles year-round, etc.

Human effects on biomes

Human activities have damaged or disturbed more than half of the world's terrestrial ecosystems. We waste, use, or destroy about 10-55% of the npp of the earth's terrestrial ecosystems.

Importance of the Coral Reefs and man's effects

They are beneficial to organisms because they provide habitat and food resources. Human expansion leads to the altering of the landscape, which causes water runoff.

Life zones of the ocean and freshwater lakes

Ocean-coastal zone (warm, nutrient-rich, shallow), open sea zone, Freshwater-Standing (lentic)-lakes ponds, inland wetlands; flowing (lotic)-rivers and streams

Importance of the oceans

source of biodiversity (many habitats), CO2 sink, moderates climate, reduces the impact of storms, food, jobs, recreation, oil & natural gas

Characteristics of the coastal wetlands

land areas covered with water all or part of the year (river mouths, inlets, bays, sounds, salt marshes in temperate zones). They must adapt to daily & seasonal changes in tidal and river flows and land runoff. They filter toxic pollutants, excess plant nutrients, sediments; reduce storm damage by absorbing waves & storing excess water produced by storms & tsunamis.

Overturning of lakes

During autumn, overturning occurs because the surface water is 4C and more dense than the water below, causing the water to sink. During the winter, the exact opposite happens.

Oligotrophic lakes

Littoral zone-most productive (coastal zone)

Eutrophic lakes

a lot of vegetation; filling in (eutrification taking over)

Mesotrophic lakes

not deep; a lot of vegetation

Mitigating banking

When humans destroy a wetland and close it up, they build a new one nearby.

Factors that influence ocean currents

wind (Westerlies and tradewinds), the Coriolis Effect, ocean bottom topography, and water density.

The effect of ocean currents on climate

Warm ocean currents can make the climate warmer; cold can make it colder.

lake overturn

water sinks bc dense; 4degrees C is most dense H20. Denser water up top. Occurs autumn & spring (warming up to 4 degrees C)

Factors that contribute to endangerment

habitat loss & fragmentation, prolonged drought, pollution, inc in uv radiation, parasites, viral & fungal diseases, climate change, overhunting, natural immigration or deliberate

keystone species

species whose role in the ecosystem is more important than its numbers
ex) dung beetle, piaster orchaceus

commensalism

one benefits; other is neutral
ex) remora & sharks

mutualism

both species benefit
ex) clownfish, & sea anemone

parasitism

one preys on another by living on it