apes unit 1: ecology, ecosystems, and biomes

organism

a single living thing

species

several of the same type of organism

population

several of the same species interacting

community

several populations interacting in a certain area

ecosystem

a community interacting with each other and its environment

atmosphere

the five layers of air enveloping the earth

troposphere

the lowest layer of the atmosphere; contains 78% N2, 21% O2, and 1% Ar

stratosphere

the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere; contains enough O3 to filter out 95% of the sun's UV radiation

lithosphere

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle (asthenosphere)

geosphere

the earth's intensely hot core, a thick mantle composed mostly of rock, and a thin outer crust

hydrosphere

all of the water on or near the earth's surface

biosphere

the parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere where life is found

biotic

living

abiotic

non-living

greenhouse effect

heat is retained in earth's lower atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases

biomes

large regions characterized by a similar climate, soil, plants, and animals

ecotone

blending of biomes

range of tolerance

limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate

limiting factor

one factor that is holding back a population from reaching its biotic potential (maximum growth)

ecology

the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

trophic levels

feeding levels which organisms in ecosystems are assigned to

first trophic level

plants

second trophic level

primary consumers

third trophic level

secondary consumers

fourth trophic level

tertiary consumers

autotrophs (producers)

organisms that produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis

heterotrophs (consumers)

organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply

herbivores (plant eaters)

primary consumers; feed on producers

carnivores (meat eaters)

secondary consumers; feed on primary consumers

omnivores

tertiary consumers; eat anything, feeding on other carnivores is what defines them as tertiary

scavegers

feed on dead organisms they did not kill

detritus

particulate matter produces by or remaining after the wearing away or disintegration of a substance or tissue

detritivores

feed on detritus

decomposers

bacteria and fungi; break down small detritus into raw materials

biodegradable

can be broken down by decomposers

biomass

the dry weight of all organic matter contained in its organisms

primary productivity

the rate of photosynthesis over time; the rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds (sugars) over time

gross primary productivity (GPP)

the rate at which an ecosystems producers convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of biomass found in their tissues

net primary productivity (NPP)

the rate at which chemical energy is captured minus the rate at which chemical energy is respired by producers

biogeochemical cycle

process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another

hydrologic cycle

- evaporation/transpiration
- condensation
- precipitation
- infiltration
- percolation
- runoff

carbon cycle

- atmosphere
- photosynthesis/respiration
- fossil fuels
- limestone
- dissolved in the ocean

nitrogen cycle

- in the air
- nitrogen fixation by bacteria --> ammonia
- nitrification by bacteria --> nitrite (NO2)
- nitrification by bacteria --> nitrate (NO3)
- ammonification of dead organic material by bacteria and fungi
- dentrification of nitrate by bacteria back to atmosphere

phosphorus cycle

- very slow
- limited amount found in the soil
- limiting factor for plant growth
- excess causes prolific plant growth (algae blooms in water)

sulfur cycle

- passed as sulfates (salts) mostly
- hydrogen sulfide (swamps/volcanoes)
- sulfur dioxide (volcanoes)
- ammonium sulfate (sea spray)

weather

day-to-day conditions to the lower atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and other factors

climate

the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

factors that influence climate

- solar radiation
- earth's rotation
- global patterns of air and water movement
- gases in the atmosphere
- earth's surface features

air circulation in the lower atmosphere is due to:

- uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun
- rotation of the earth on its axis
- properties of air, water, and land

circulates

- heat
- moisture
- plant nutrients
- soil particles
- long lived air pollutants

currents

movement of water caused by winds which are driven by the earth's rotation

land and sea breezes

heat is absorbed and released more slowly by water than by land

greenhouse gasses

- water vapor (H20)
- carbon dioxide (CO2)
- methane (CH4)
- nitrous oxide (N2O)

altitude

height above sea level; the higher you go, the lower the temperature

desert biome

tropical, temperate, cold
- slow plant growth
- low species diversity + vegetation
- slow nutrient recycling
- little moisture
- low rainfall
- varying average temperature

grassland biome

tropical (savanna), temperate, cold (arctic tundra)
- seasonal drought
- grazing by large herbivores
- occasional fires
- low average precipitation
- varying average temperature

forest biome

tropical (rain forests), temperate (deciduous forests), evergreen (coniferous forest)
- dominated by trees
- varying average precipitation
- varying average temperature

what are temperature grasslands being converted to?

farmland

what role do mountains play in the hydrologic cycle?

they serve as storehouses of water