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Biosphere
The global sum of all ecosystems, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.
Biome
A large geographic biotic community, characterized by specific climate conditions and distinct plant and animal species.
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, functioning together as a system.
Community
A group of interacting organisms of different species that live in the same area and share resources.
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area, interacting and reproducing with one another.
Individual
A single organism of a particular species that can reproduce and interact with other organisms.
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship between two different species where both benefit from the interaction.
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other, typically harming it in the process.
Resource partitioning
The process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.
Temporal partitioning
A form of resource partitioning where species utilize the same resource at different times, reducing competition.
Spatial partitioning
A form of resource partitioning where species use different physical spaces or habitats to minimize competition for resources.
Morphological partitioning
A form of resource partitioning where species evolve different physical traits or structures to exploit different resources, reducing competition.
Terrestrial biomes are defined by…
annual temperature and precipitation, which are represented by a climatogram.
Salinity
The concentration of salt in water, which influences the distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms.
Flow
The movement of water in rivers, streams, and other bodies of water, affecting ecosystems and organisms within these environments.
Depth
The vertical distance from the surface of a body of water to its bottom, influencing light penetration and habitat availability for aquatic life.
Warmer water holds ____ dissolved O2 so it can support ____ organisms
less, fewer
Littoral
The zone of a body of water that is close to the shore, where sunlight penetrates to the bottom, supporting diverse plant and animal life.
Limnetic
The open water zone of a body of water, where sunlight penetrates but does not reach the bottom, supporting plankton and larger aquatic organisms.
Profundal
The deep, dark zone of a body of water that is below the limnetic zone, where sunlight does not penetrate and supports organisms adapted to cold, low-light conditions.
Benthic
The bottom zone of a body of water, consisting of sediments and organic matter, where organisms such as benthos live and thrive.
Wetland
A saturated area of land that supports aquatic plants, providing important ecosystem services like water filtration and habitat for wildlife.
Intertidal zone
The area of the shoreline that is exposed to the air at low tide and submerged at high tide, hosting a unique ecosystem adapted to fluctuating conditions.
Estuary
A coastal area where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean, creating a unique ecosystem that supports diverse wildlife and plant species.
Carbon sink
A natural environment, such as forests or oceans, that absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases, helping to mitigate climate change.
Carbon source
An environment that releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it absorbs, contributing to climate change.
Fossil fuels
Natural substances formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, primarily composed of carbon, that are burned for energy.
What percent of the atmosphere is Nitrogen?
70%
Nitrogen fixation
The process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a form usable by living organisms, often facilitated by certain bacteria and plants.
Nitrogen assimilation
The process by which plants and other organisms take up nitrogen compounds, such as ammonium and nitrate, and incorporate them into organic molecules like amino acids and proteins.
Nitrogen ammonification
The process by which organic nitrogen is converted back into ammonia by decomposers, making it available for uptake by plants.
Nitrification
The process by which ammonia is oxidized to nitrites and then to nitrates by bacteria, making nitrogen available to plants.
Denitrification
The process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, returning nitrogen to the atmosphere and completing the nitrogen cycle.
Eutrophication
The process in which excessive growth of algae occurs in a water body due to excessive minerals and nutrients. This process can lead to oxygen depletion and harm aquatic life.
Primary productivity
The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances in an ecosystem.
1st Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is never created nor destroyed
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Each time energy is transferred, some of it is lost as heat
10% Rule
Only ten percent of energy from one level is transferred to another. The rest of it is lost as heat.
Keystone species
A species that, if removed, would cause its ecosystem and food web to be dramatically different or eliminated.
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