APES Unit 1: Vocab Quiz

ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms (biotic) and their physical environment (abiotic)

Biotic

Describes living factors in the environment.

abiotic

Non-living things that may influence living things within an environment

Sustainability

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable

The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which the research is interested.

null hypothesis

the hypothesis that there is no significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error.

control group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

sample size

The number of subjects used in an experiment or study. Generally, the larger the better.

Theory

A hypothesis that has been tested and supported with a significant amount of data

first law of thermodynamics

Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

second law of thermodynamics

when energy is changed from one form to another, some useful energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually heat) because the entropy of the universe is increasing

competitive exclusion principle

Ecological rule that states that no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat at the same time

resource partitioning

The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species

native species

Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

invasive species

species that enter new ecosystems and multiply rapidly, harming native species and their habitats

non-native species

Species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans.

tundra

a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.

Permafrost

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground

taiga/boreal forest

Has a short growing season, the soil quality is poor, the biodiversity is low, has conifers such a cedar, spruce, pine, and fir; it has insects, birds mainly in the summer, no amphibians or reptiles, and mammals such as rodents, rabbits, minks, raccoons, bears, and moose live there

temperate rainforest

a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

temperate deciduous forest

forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually

tropical rainforest

a broadleaf evergreen forest found in wet and hot regions near the equator.

hot desert

Parts of the world that have high average temperatures and very low precipitation.

littoral zone

a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants-- think shoreline of a lake

limnetic zone

In a lake, the well-lit, open surface waters farther from shore.

phytoplankton

photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean

profundal zone

zone in a freshwater habitat that is below the limits of effective light penetration

benthic zone

The bottom surface of an aquatic environment.

freshwater wetland

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation.

estuary

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean has a wide range of salinity

salt marsh

temperate-zone estuary dominated by salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide line and by seagrasses under water

mangrove swamp

A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.

intertidal zone

the narrow band of coastline between the levels of high tide and low tide

coral reef

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline.

coral bleaching

Occurs when a coral becomes stressed and expels most of its colorful algae, leaving an underlying ghostly white skeleton of calcium carbonate

open ocean

Low productivity/area as only algae & phytoplankton can survive in upper areas of the ocean

photic zone

Portion of the marine biome that is shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate.

aphotic zone

dark layer of the oceans below the photic zone where sunlight does not penetrate

Chemosynthesis

Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

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

aerobic respiration

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

steady state

a state in which inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time

global warming

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)

limiting nutrient

a nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

nitrogen fixation

Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia and eventually other forms to be used by plants

anaerobic

Process that does not require oxygen

aerobic

Process that requires oxygen

leaching

removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards

algal bloom

an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient and can lead to cultural eutrophication

hypoxic

low oxygen

anoxic

no DO (dissolved O2) in the water

dead zone

a location within a body of water that does not have enough dissolved oxygen to sustain life.

transpiration

loss of water from a plant through its leaves

evapotranspiration

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

runoff

water that flows across the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

primary productivity

the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances

Biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level, this typically represents the stored carbon and energy within an organism

producers

Organisms that make their own food

primary consumer

consumer that feeds directly on producers