APES Unit 1

Ammonification

the formation of ammonia compounds in the soil by the action of bacteria on decaying matter (nitrogen cycle step)

assimilation

the process by which plants and animals incorporate the NO3- and ammonia formed through nitrogen fixation and nitrification. Plants take up these forms of nitrogen through their roots, and incorporate them into plant proteins and nucleic acids. (nitrogen cycle step)

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

Boreal

of the North or northern regions. Boreal forests are found in the Taiga and have needle leaves

Calcium Carbonate

CaCO3; used in the formation of seashells

Chaparral

A scrubland biome of dense, spiny evergreen shrubs found at midlatitudes along coasts where cold ocean currents circulate offshore; characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers. Often in Mediterranean areas

Chemosynthesis

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

combustion

the process of burning something. Burning biotic matter releases carbon into the air. (carbon cycle step)

coniferous

referring to vegetation having cones and needle-shaped leaves, including many evergreens, that keep their foliage throughout the winter

deciduous

Trees and shrubs that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season

Denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere (nitrogen cycle step)

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae. During the algae's decomposition, the water body becomes low in oxygen.

gross primary productivity

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food.

Infiltration

the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil

marsh

an area of low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times.

net primary productivity

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Nitrification

ammonia (NH3) is converted to nitrate ions (NO3)- (nitrogen cycle step)

nitrogen fixation

process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use (nitrogen cycle step)

Photosynthesis

Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars. Carbon is removed from the atmosphere during this carbon cycle step.

residence time

The average time a given particle will stay in a given system

Respiration (cellular)

The process by which cells break down simple food molecules to release the energy they contain. This adds carbon to the atmosphere (carbon cycle step)

Sedimentary

A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together

Source (Carbon Source)

any natural or artificial production site of carbon and/or any chemical compounds composed of carbon, such as carbon dioxide and methane.

swamp

A wetland ecosystem in which shrubs and trees grow

ten percent rule

Only about 10% of the energy in one trophic level is passed on to the next higher level.

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant (water cycle step)

Sink (Carbon Sink)

a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

weather

the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.

climate

the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

rain shadow effect

Precipitation falls on the windward side of a mountain range, resulting in lush vegetation & a warm, moist climate on one side, but a desert area on the leeward side.

trophic level

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

primary consumer

consumer that feeds directly on producers

primary producers

the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

climatograph (climate diagram)

a visual representation of a region's average monthly temperature and precipitation

Taiga

a region of evergreen, coniferous forest below the arctic and subarctic tundra regions

resource partitioning

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

intertidal zone

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

Phytoplankton

Microscopic, free-floating, autotrophic organisms that function as producers in aquatic ecosystems

Permafrost

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground

Ammonium

NH4+

Nitrate

NO3- product of nitrification

Nitrite

NO2- product of nitrification

Nitrogen gas

N2, the atmosphere's most abundant element making up 78% of the volume in the troposphere.

Leaching

the transportation of dissolved nutrients from the soil into bodies of water or into the groundwater

Weathering

The chemical and physical processes that break down rock at Earth's surface.

Sediments

small pieces of rock, soil, and other materials

temperate deciduous forest

forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually (our biome)

Tropical Rainforest

biome near the equator with warm climate wet weather and lush plant growth; poorest soil; highest NPP and biodiversity for a terrestrial biome

prairie/ grassland

area receiving 25 cm to 75 cm of precipitation per year; grasses are the dominant vegetation, and trees are rare; middle latitudes

Desert

an arid biome with little or no vegetation

Tundra

a vast treeless biome in the arctic regions

Savanna

a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees and a wet and dry season.

Abiotic

Non-living

Biotic

living

symbiotic relationship

close interaction between species in which one species lives in or on the other

Mutualism

both species benefit

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

primary productivity

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

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

the energy captured minus the energy respired by producers

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Wetlands

Ecosystems of several types in which vegetation is surrounded by water during part of the year

Coral Reefs

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline. Highest biodiversity for aquatic biomes