Bio Lessons 22 and 23

Productivity

The rate at which all organisms at all trophic levels synthesize new organic matter.

Primary Productivity

The productivity of primary producers (plants, algae, etc.).

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Total amount of photosynthesis by all primary producers in an ecosystem over a set time (usually a year).

Respiration

Energy used by plants for their own metabolic needs.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

GPP minus the energy used for respiration.

Secondary Productivity

The productivity of heterotrophs (herbivores, carnivores, etc.).

Energy transfer inefficiency

Not all NPP is consumed or converted efficiently by herbivores.

10% Rule

Only about 10% of the chemical bond energy available at one trophic level becomes available to the next level.

Energy limitations for higher trophic levels

Carnivores only access the 17% growth energy from herbivores.

Ecological Pyramid

Stacked boxes representing trophic levels, with width indicating magnitude of ecological property.

Trophic Cascade

A situation where upper trophic levels influence lower levels.

Top-Down Effects

Upper levels control or affect the populations below.

Bottom-Up Effects

Primary productivity controls the ecosystem from the bottom.

Island Biogeography

Studies how the size and distance of islands affect species richness.

Biochemical Cycles

Movement of nutrients between living and nonliving components of ecosystems.

Water Cycle

The cycle of water movements between the atmosphere and Earth's surface.

Carbon Cycle

The cycle of carbon movement between the atmosphere, living organisms, and geological deposits.

Nitrogen Cycle

The cycle of nitrogen movement between the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms.

Phosphorus Cycle

The movement of phosphorus through the environment and living organisms, generally with no gaseous phase.

Limiting Nutrient

The nutrient in shortest supply that limits ecosystem productivity.

Ecosystem Ecology

Field that studies how all species in a community interact with the physical environment.

Thermal Stratification

Layering of water by temperature in lakes and ponds.

Eutrophication

Process where a lake becomes eutrophic, often due to human activity.

Fossil Fuels

Long-term storage of carbon; burning releases carbon rapidly and disrupts the carbon cycle.

Detritivores

Organisms that ingest dead organic material.

Decomposers

Bacteria and fungi that break down dead organic material and absorb nutrients.

Freshwater Wetlands

Areas where freshwater meets land, with high net primary productivity.

Oligotrophic Lakes

Lakes with low nutrients, low algal density, and clear water.

Eutrophic Lakes

Lakes with high nutrients and high algal growth.

Upwelling

Process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the surface.

El Niño

A periodic warming event that affects global weather patterns.

Electromagnetic radiation

The radiation from the sun that is modified before reaching Earth's surface.

Greenhouse effect

The trapping of heat in the lower atmosphere, warming the Earth.

Habitat

The natural home or environment where an organism lives.

Species-Area Relationship

Larger islands typically support more species due to increased habitat.

Biomes

Major types of terrestrial ecosystems characterized by specific climate and vegetation types.

Trophic Levels

Groups of organisms that obtain energy in similar ways, such as producers and consumers.

Carbon fixation

Process where plants and certain organisms absorb CO₂ to build organic molecules during photosynthesis.

Nitrogen fixation

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonia (NH₃) by certain prokaryotes.

Diversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Conductivity

A measure of how easily electricity flows through water, related to nutrient levels.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food, typically through photosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that consume other organisms for energy and nutrients.

Permafrost

A year-round frozen layer in tundra environments that inhibits drainage.

Detritus

Dead organic material that feeds detritivores and decomposers.

Nutrient Availability

The presence of essential nutrients in the environment for organisms to use.

Biodiversity

The variety and variability of life forms within a given ecosystem.

Phenology

The study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how they are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate.

Climate

Long-term average of weather patterns in a particular area.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their interactions with the abiotic environment.

Solar energy

Energy derived from the sun, crucial for photosynthesis and driving ecosystem processes.

Eutrophic

High levels of nutrients and algae in a body of water, leading to low oxygen levels.

Aquifer

Permeable underground layer of rock that stores groundwater.

Aliens (Invasive Species)

Non-native species that disrupt local ecosystems and native species.

Chaparral

A biome characterized by dry summers and wet winters, dominated by evergreen shrubs.

Rain Shadow Effect

The reduction of precipitation on the leeward side of a mountain.

Estuary

A coastal area where freshwater from rivers meets saltwater from the ocean.

Polar Ice

Frozen water in the polar regions, characterized by low biodiversity.

Global Warming

The gradual increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activity.

Nutrient Cycling

The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass.

Periphyton

Complex mixtures of algae, cyanobacteria, detritus, and other microbes attached to submerged surfaces.

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy.

Respiration

The process by which organisms convert glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and energy.

Global Climate Change

Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth.

Carbon Offset

A reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere.

Vegetation Types

The classification of land based on dominant plant forms and ecological characteristics.

Glacial Activity

The movement and dynamics of glaciers, often affecting landscape features and ecosystems.