Biology - Intro to Global Systems

Biosphere

The thin skin of life that includes all forms of life on earth. ( Animals, people, bacteria, etc.)

Ecology

The study of nature's "houses," organisms that live in those houses, and interactions based on energy and nutrients.

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population

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

Community

An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area.

Ecosystem

All the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment.

Biotic factor

Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact.

Abiotic factor

Any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents and soil type.

Atmosphere

All of the gasses that surround the Earth.

Hydrosphere

All of Earth's freshwater and saltwater, including water vapor and rain in the atmosphere, underground, and ice.

Geosphere

Contains rocks, continents, and the ocean floor, Deep inside Earth, portions of the geosphere are liquid.

Autotroph

Organisms that can capture energy from nonliving sources and convert it into forms living cells can use. They can also energy in ways that make is available to other organisms.

Primary producers

The first producers of energy-rich compounds that can be used later by other organisms. All life depends on primary producers.

Photosynthesis

Plants or algae using solar energy to build living tissues, that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches.

Chemosynthesis

The process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates.

Heterotrophs

Animals, fungi, and bacteria that cannot harness energy directly from the environment as primary producers do.

Consumer

Organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients.

Detritus

Small pieces of dead or decaying plant and animal remains.

Population Density

The number of individuals that can be found per unit area.

Population distribution

The way individuals are spaced out across their range

Culture

A population of cells or organisms grown under conditions that allow the cells or organism to be used for scientific study

Dilute

To lower the concentration of a mixture by adding a liquid, such as water, to produce a weaker mixture, or dilution

Independent Variable

The part of the experiment manipulated, managed or changed by the experimenter (x-axis in data graph)

Dependent Variable

What the experimenter measures/observes; this part of the experiment is expected to change because of the independent variable (y-axis on graph)

Constant (Controlled Variable)

The part(s) of the experiment that remains the same throughout the experiment to ensure analysis of the independent variable

Control

Baseline to compare with the experimental condition

Immigration

A population may increase if individuals moving into its range from elsewhere

Emigration

A population may decrease if individuals move out of the population's range

Exponential growth

When a population increases rapidly as more and more offspring are produced (in the presence of unlimited resources and the absence of predation and disease, curved line)

Linear growth

A consistent increase in growth over time (straight line)

Logistic growth

Growth that occurs when a population's growth slows and then stops,following a period of exponential

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of particular species that a particular environment can support

Limiting factor

An factor that controls the growth of a population, and cam determine the carrying capacity of an environment for a species.

Density-dependent limiting factor

Limiting factors that operate when the number of organisms per unit area, or population density, reaches a certain level. (Competition, overcrowding, parasitism, disease, predation, herbivor)

Density-independent limiting factors

Affect all populations regardless of the population size and density. (Flooding, natural disasters, wildfires, hurricanes, drought)

Niche

Where an organism lives and what it does. Includes the range of physical and biological conditions in which it can survive, reproduce, and obtain resources.

Habitat

An area with a particular combination of physical and biological environmental factors that affect which organisms can live within it.

Resource

A necessity in life ( water, sunlight, nutrients, food, etc.)

Competitive exclusion principles

States that no two species can occupy exactly the same niche in exactly the same habitat at exactly the same time.

Keystone species

A species that plays a vital and unique role in maintaining structure, stability, and diversity in an ecosystem.

Symbiosis

A close, long term biological relationship between two different species.

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit.

Commensalism

A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed

Parasitism

A relationship in which one organism lives inside or on another organism, and harms it.

Ecological succession

A series of somewhat predictable events that occur in a community over time

Primary succession

Succession that begins on newly formed rock or other areas that have no remnants of an older community

Pioneer species

The first species to colonize barren areas

Secondary succession

A disturbance that affects an existing community but doesn't completely destroy it

Climax community

When a natural disturbance happens in healthy ecosystems, the events and processes that occur during secondary succession often.

Predator-prey relationship

The effect predators have on where prey spend their life, depending on how easily the predators can catch their prey.

Herbivore-plant relationship

The effect herbivores have on size and distribution of plant populations in a community, and determine the places that certain plants can live/grow

Competition

More than one organism attempting to use the same limited resources

Microhabitats

Where many small organisms live. (under leafs, logs, forest floor)

Microbiomes

Inhabit places never before considered habitable, and decompose organic matter, and help plants ability to absorb nutrients

Biodiversity

The total of all genetically based variation in all organisms in the biosphere. (The variety of all animals, plants, and microorganisms etc).

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of habitats, communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere

Species

The number of different species in the biosphere, or in a particular area

Genetic diversity

The total of all different forms of genes present in a particular species

Resilience

A natural or human system's ability to recover after a disturbance

Ecosystem service

The benefits provided by ecosystems to humans ( cycling nutrients, purifying water, food, etc)

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce offspring

Carnivore

An organism that only eats meat

Herbivores

An organism that only eats plants

Omnivores

An organism that eats both meat and plants

Scavengers

An organism that eats mostly decaying and dead biomass

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead or decaying biomass

Detritivores

Organisms that eat or obtain energy from detritus

Food chain

A series of organisms in which energy is transferred from one organism to another

Food web

The network of feeding interactions through which both energy and matter move

Trophic level

The steps in a food chain or food web

Ecological (Energy) Pyramid

Models that show the relative amount of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain.

Biomass

The total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

Interdependence

Living organisms that rely on other organisms and their environment to grow

Resilience

An organism or species ability to grow after disruption

Limiting nutrient

A nutrient whose supply limits productivity

Carbon cycle

The process in which carbon moves from the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere

Phosphorus cycle

Movement of phosphorus through the ocean, sediments and living organisms (NOT THE ATMOSPHERE)

Apex predator

Animal that has no natural predators

Intraspecific competition

Competition that occurs within a species

Interspecific competition

Competition that occurs between different species

Symbiosis

Organisms that live live in a close, long term relationship and benefit off of eachother

Ecological Succession

The process in which the structure of a biological community evolves over time

Primary succession

Succession that is the first to colonize a barren area

Secondary succession

Succession that occurs after a disturbance

Pioneer species

The first to colonize a barren or previously disturbed area

Species diversity

The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community

Biomagnification

Pollutants that are concentrated as the pass through trophic levels

Ocean Acidification

Decrease of pH in the ocean

Habitat Fragmentation

When development and agriculture splits and ecosystem into pieces

Invasive species

Introduction of a new animal or plant to a new area

Monocultures

Planting large areas with a single, highly productive crop each year

Deforestation

The cutting of forest for lumber or farming

Acid rain

Dissolved sulfur and nitrogen dioxide in fog or rain that forms an acid

Sea levels rise

Rising of sea levels from global warming or thermal expansion

Biome

A large, ecological area characterized by specific climate, plant communities and animal species