APES Unit 2 Study Guide

ecology

Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

cell

Basic unit of life

eukaryotic

A type of cell that contains a membrane bound nucleus and specialized organelles in the cytoplasm

prokaryotic

A primitive kind of cell containing no nucleus or organelles. All prokaryotic cells are organisms called bacteria

population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

genetic diversity

the amount of variation in the genetic material within all members of a population

habitat

An area that provides an organism with its basic needs for survival.

distribution

Determining the best ways for customers to locate,obtain,and use the products and services of an organization. Involves moving the product each step from the deign idea to the consumer.

range

A group of selected cells

community

(ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other

biological community

The populations of plants animals and microorganisms living and interacting in a certain area at a given time.

ecosystem

A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

atmosphere

Layers of different gases that surround the Earth.

troposphere

the lowest atmospheric layer

stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 10 to 30 miles up; location of ozone layer; absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation; temperature increases with altitude increase.

lithosphere

the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

biosphere

Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.

natural greenhouse effect

Heat buildup in the atmosphere due to the presence of 'greenhouse' gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.

biomes

a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.

aquatic life zones

aquatic equivalent of biomes; marine and freshwater portions of the biosphere that can be divided into multiple ecosystems

abiotic

A term that describes a nonliving factor in an ecosystem.

biotic

Describes living factors in the environment.

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.

limiting factor

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.

limiting factor principle

Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population of a species in an ecosystem, even if all other factors are at or near the optimum range of tolerance for the species

dissolved oxygen (DO)

The amount of oxygen dissolved in water.

salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

producers

Make their own food from compounds obtained from their environment

autotrophs

Organisms that are able to make their own food.

photosynthesis

The process plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars

chemosynthesis

Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

consumers/heterotroph

An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.

decomposers

Fungi and bacteria that break complex organic material into smaller molecules

Detritus

Dead organic matter

omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals.

aerobic respiration

Respiration in which oxygen is consumed and glucose is broken down entirely; water, carbon dioxide, and large amounts of ATP are the final products

anaerobic respiration

Respiration in the absence of oxygen. This produces lactic acid.

fermentation

A catabolic process that makes a limited amount of ATP from glucose without an electron transport chain and that produces a characteristic end product, such as ethyl alcohol or lactic acid.

biodiversity

The diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

genetic diversity

The variety of genes or inheritable characteristics that are present in a population

species diversity

The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community.

ecological diversity

The variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, oceans, streams, lakes, and other biological communities interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment

functional diversity

Biological and chemical processes or functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities

food chain

(ecology) a community of organisms where each member is eaten in turn by another member

trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

biomass

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region

ecological efficiency

Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web

pyramid of energy flow

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

gross primary productivity(GPP)

the rate at which organic matter is assimilated by plants and other producers during a period of time over a certain area

net primary productivity(NPP)

the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem

soil

A mixture of mineral particles and organic material that covers the land, and in which terrestrial plants grow.

soil horizons

Horizontal zones that make up a particular mature soil. Each horizon has a distinct texture and composition that vary with different types of soils.

soil profile

All the vertical layers or horizons that make up a soil in a particular place

humus

Rich, dark organic material formed by decay of vegetable matter, essential to soil's fertility

infiltration

Flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface.

leaching

Process in which various chemicals in upper layers of soil are dissolved and carried to lower layers and, in some cases, to groundwater.

soil texture

Relative amounts of the different types and sizes of mineral particles in a sample of soil.

soil porosity

a measure of the volume of pores or spaces per volume of soil and the average distances between those spaces.

soil permeability

rate at which water and air move from upper to lower soil layers

nutrient (biochemical) cycles

movements and chemical transformations of biologically important elements between biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem

hydrological (water) cycles

The continuous circulation of water among the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth.

condensation nuclei

Microscopic particles on which water vapor condenses to form cloud droplets.

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

nitrogen cycle

A major nutrient cycle consisting of the routes that nitrogen atoms take through the nested networks of environmental systems.