Unit 1 and 2: The Living World & Biodiversity AP Exam Review

Flashcards covering predator-prey relationships, symbiosis, competition, terrestrial and aquatic biomes, biogeochemical cycles, and ecosystem productivity terminology.

Predator

An organism that preys on others.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and killed for food.

Predator-Prey Relationship Trends

When the number of prey increases, more food is available for predators to raise more offspring, causing the number of predators to rise after a short time lag.

Symbiosis

The different types of interactions between species, which can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where the interaction is beneficial for both species, such as clownfish and sea anemones or coral and zooxanthellae.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neutral (unaffected), such as a bird nesting in a tree.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed, such as a tapeworm and a human.

Competition

The sharing of a limited environmental resource.

Resource Partitioning

When organisms competing for a common limited resource evolve to coexist by dividing a niche.

Interspecific Competition

Competition between two different species in the same area.

Intraspecific Competition

Competition between two of the same species in the same area.

Biodiversity

The number of species in an area.

Biome

A certain area of Earth which has a consistent climate, flora, and fauna.

Tropical Rain Forest

Biome located between $20^{\circ}N-20^{\circ}S$ Latitude with average temperatures of $20-30^{\circ}C$ and precipitation of $250-450\,cm$, featuring lush vegetation like cocoa and coffee.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Biome with average temperatures of $5 \text{ to } 20^{\circ}C$ and precipitation of $50-225\,cm$, characterized by deciduous trees like oak, maple, and beech.

Taiga (Boreal) Forest

Biome located $50^{\circ}N-60^{\circ}N$ in Europe, Russia, and N America with average temperatures of $-5 \text{ to } 10^{\circ}C$ and coniferous trees like pine, spruce, and fir.

Tropical Grasslands (Savanna)

Biome with average temperatures of $20 \text{ to } 30^{\circ}C$ and precipitation of $50-275\,cm$, featuring dense stands of shrubs, trees, and animals like giraffes and rhinos.

Temperate Grassland (Prairie)

Biome with average temperatures of $-5 \text{ to } 20^{\circ}C$ and precipitation of $0-50\,cm$, featuring grasses and non-woody flowering plants.

Tundra (Cold Grassland)

Biome in the northernmost Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica with average temperatures of $-10 \text{ to } -5^{\circ}C$ and plants like woody shrubs, mosses, and lichens.

Desert

Biome located $30^{\circ}N-30^{\circ}S$ with average temperatures of $18 \text{ to } 31^{\circ}C$ and precipitation of $0-100\,cm$, featuring cacti and succulents.

Coral Reef

Aquatic biome located near the equator ($23-29^{\circ}C$) where algae and zooxanthellae support coral, reef fish, sharks, and rays.

Open Ocean

Aquatic biome in the water column beyond the continental shelf, primarily featuring phytoplankton, sharks, dolphins, and whales.

Kelp Forest

Aquatic biome in the Pacific Northwest US with temperatures between $5-20^{\circ}C$, featuring kelp, urchins, sea stars, and otters.

Estuary/Wetland

Aquatic biome where freshwater and saltwater mix, featuring mangrove trees, cordgrass, and animals like crocodiles and crabs.

Nitrification

The process of converting ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate.

Denitrification

The process of converting nitrate into nitrogen gas ($N_2$).

Assimilation

The process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process that converts nitrogen gas ($N_2$) into forms producers can use.

Ammonification

When bacteria and fungus break down organic nitrogen from dead bodies and waste and convert it into inorganic ammonium.

Nitrogen Cycle Reservoirs

The atmosphere serves as the largest reservoir for this cycle.

Phosphorus Cycle Reservoirs

Sedimentary Rock serves as the largest reservoir for this cycle.

Biotic Components

Living parts of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and bacteria.

Abiotic Components

Non-living parts of an ecosystem, such as soil, water, and temperature.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy can neither be created or destroyed, instead it may be transferred from one form to another.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

When energy is transformed, the quantity remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes, often lost as heat.

Rule of 10

The transfer of energy between trophic levels where only $10\%$ of energy is passed to the next level (e.g., $1,000,000\,kcal$ to $100,000\,kcal$ to $10,000\,kcal$).

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

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