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First law of thermodynamics
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one form to another
Second law of thermodynamics
The entropy of a system increases over time
Entropy
The amount of disorder or chaos in a system, more entropy means less ordered
Efficiency
(Useful outputs / inputs) x 100
Species
A group of organisms sharing common characteristics that interbreed to produce fertile offspring (share the same gene pool)
Habitat
The environment in which a species normally lives
Niche
Describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources to which an organism or population responds, and only occupied by one species
Realized niche
The actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions
Fundamental niche
The full range of conditions and resources in which a species could survive and reproduce
Realized niche
The actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions
Abiotic factors
The non-living, physical factors that influence ecosystems and the communities of organisms within them (temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity, precipitation)
Biotic factors
The living, biological factors that influence ecosystems and the communities of organisms within them (competition, predation, mutualism, disease)
Population
A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time
Carrying capacity
The maximum number of individuals of a particular species that can be sustained in a given area over a given time period
Intraspecific competition
Competition between members of the same species
Interspecific competition
Competition between members of different species
Predation
When one animal eats another
Herbivory
When an organism (a herbivore) feeds on a plant
Parasitism
The organisms that are adapted to live very closely with another species known as the host species
Mutualism
Relationship where both species benefit
Disease
Pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses) are organisms that cause diesease
S-population curves
Describes the growth pattern of a population in a resource-limited environment
J-population curves
Describes the growth pattern of a population in an environment with unlimited resources
Community
A group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat
Ecosystem
A community (the living, biotic part) and the physical environment (the non-living, abiotic part) it interacts with
Photosynthesis
Primary producers convert light energy into chemical energy
Photosynthesis equation
Carbon dioxide + water (light + chlorophyll) —> glucose + oxygen
Respiration
The conversion of organic matter into carbon dioxide and water in all living organisms, releasing energy
Aerobic respiration
A chemical reaction which converts glucose into cellular energy in the presence of oxygen
Aerobic respiration equation
Glucose + oxygen —> carbon dioxide + water
Trophic level
The position that an organism occupies in a food chain, or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same positions in a food chain
Autotroph
An organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals (producer)
Chemosynthetic organisms
Organisms that can produce its own food without sunlight
Apex predators
Very top of the food chain, they are carnivores with no predators
Pyramid of numbers
Show how many organisms at each level of a food chain
Pyramid of biomass
Measures the amount of biomass present at each trophic level
Pyramid of productivity
Show the flow of energy through trophic levels, indicating the rate at which that energy is being generated
Bioaccumulation
The build up of persistent or non-biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level because they cannot be broken down
Biomagnification
The increase in the concentration of persistent or non-biodegradable pollutants along a food chain
Albedo
The ability of surfaces to reflect incoming solar radiation
Ecological efficiency
The percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next
Ecological efficiency equation
(Energy used for new biomass / energy supplied) x 100
Gross primary production
The rate at which plants are able to store chemical energy via photosynthesis
Net primary productivity
The rate at which energy is stored in plant biomass, allowing for respiratory losses
NPP equation
NPP = GPP - R
Gross secondary productivity
The total energy/biomass assimilated by consumers
GSP equation
GSP = food eaten - faecal loss
NSP equation
NSP = GSP - R
Maximum sustainable yield
The maximum amount of a renewable natural resource that can be harvested annually without comprising the long-term productivity of the source
The carbon cycle
Describes how carbon moves between the atmosphere, soil, ocean, etc.
The nitrogen cycle
The process through which nitrogen moves between organic and inorganic forms in ecosystems.
