APES!

positive feedback loop

BAD

increases detrimental condition

Negative feedback loop

GOOD

balances or reduces the detrimental condition

synergy

combined effect is worse than individual effects

conservation of matter

in a chemical equation the reactants must equal the products; we can not create or destroy matter

1st law of thermodynamics

energy can not be created nor destroyed but can change its form

2nd law of thermodynamics

when energy is changed from one form to another, it is not 100% efficient and some energy is lost as heat

ions

imbalance of electrons and protons

ionic compound

made of a metal and a nonmetal held together with an ionic bond

polyatomic ion

group of elements held together with covalent bonds

pH

the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution

7 = neutral

quality of matter

a measure of how useful a form of matter is as a resource based on availability and concentration

radiation

energy moves in waves

conduction

energy is transferred from a heat source through solids

convection

energy is transferred as liquids or gases heat they become less dense and rise or cool they become more dense they sink

biotic

living things

abiotic

non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment

national forest (federal lands)

“greatest good for most people” can be logged, mined, livestock grazing, fishing, oil and gas extraction

national resource lands (federal lands)

(bureau of land management) livestock grazing, mining, oil and gas lease

national wildlife refuges (federal lands)

protected habitats for breeding area for waterfowl and big game

national parks (federal lands)

protected area which can be used for recreational activities but no commercial use

national wilderness preservation land (federal lands)

no motorized vehicles are allowed in this area but can be used with permit to hike, hunt, and fish

ecology

study ecosystem (biomes)

prokaryote

simple single celled

old

no nucleus

biggest group of decomposer

ex. bacteria

eukaryotes

more complex

have a nucleus

multi celled

habitat

where organism lives

niche

what organism job/role

range of tolerance

environment consistently changes (hard to stay alive)

high range of tolerance (good) → can survive change

limiting factor

predators, shelter availability, food availability

without these factors, the population will grow too much (exponential growth), this controls population growth

organism

one animal (smallest)

population

multiple of the same species together (2nd smallest)

community

multiple populations living together (2nd largest)

ecosystem

all the living communities plus the non-living things (biotic and abiotic)

atmosphere

the gasses that surround the planet

hydrosphere

all the water on the planet (liquid)

lithosphere

all the solid stuff, land

producer

autotrophs

taking the sun energy and make their own food

photosynthesis

use sunlight to make food

chemosythesis

use environment to make food

consumers

heterotrophs

getting food from something else

primary

eating grass/plants

secondary

eats primary

omnivores

eats other consumers and plants

decomposers

take dead things and recycling the energy, releasing the nutrients back

aerobic

does it with oxygen

anaerobic

does it without oxygen

detritivores

scavengers

not hunting, waiting for things to die

does not recycle the nutrients

photosynthesis

captures energy

6H20 + 6CO2 + solar energy 🡪C6H12O6 + 6O2

cellular respiration

releases energy

C6H12O6 + 6O2 🡪 6H2O +6CO2 + energy

food web

* transfer of energy among trophic levels (big and complex… lots of interconnected food chains)
* ultimate source of energy is the sun
* energy gets lost along the way
* largest populations are a the bottom because lower energy is at the top (smaller population)

10% rule

* energy efficient is only 10%, 90% is lost energy in a food chain
* to find → move decimal point one to the right (as you go up food chain energy is smaller amounts)

biomass

the amount of mass in each tropic level (mass of living things in that population)

gross primary production

total amount of photosynthesis thats going on

* more production, more animals

net primary production

= gross - respiration

* food available for heterotrophs

water cycle

* **evaporation**: sun hits liquid, turns to gas… water → gas
* **transportation:** another way to create gaseous water in atmosphere
* **condensation:** forms clouds… taking gas molecules and putting them next to each other, together/cold
* **precipitation:** the water molecules are super colse,stick to one another and make it heavier, falls back down… ex. rain!
* **infiltration:** water that falls penetrates into the soil
* **percolation:** water keeps going down soil because of grabity
* **impermeable:** water hits a layer that can’t pass through
* **groundwater:** water collected in soil

overdraft (humans and water)

humans divert water for other things (agirculture, drinkable water, ect.)… oversuing surface waer to the point that surface water dries (smaller amounts avalible now)

deforestation (humans and water)

when water runs through the soil, it carries nutrients and soil (creating erosion) through the tree roots

not cutting down trees → the water stays and helps with tree roots (good!)

nitrogen fixation (nitrogen conversions)

1st step

bacteria convert N2 (nitrogen gas) into NH3 (ammonia)

\[N2 + 3 H2 ==> 2 NH3\]

nitrification (nitrogen conversions)

2ed step

NH3 (ammonia) is converted to NO2 (nitrogen dioxide)- and then to NO3 (nitrate)

* used by plants

assimilation (nitrgoen conversions)

3rd step

roots and animals absorb nitrate to make the nitrogen containing compounds

deitrification (nitrogen conversions)

bacteria convert NH3 (ammonia) and NH4+ (ammonium) back into nitrite and nitrate and then into N2 (nitrogen gas) and N2O (nitrous oxide) → which is released into the atmosphere and the process starts all over again

NH3 → NO2 → N2

NO3

humans and the nitrogen cycle

* synthetic fertilixers
* nitrgoen-fixing crops
* burning fossil fuels

carbon cycle

* carbon enters the atmosphere as CO2 (carbon dioxide)
* CO2 (carbon dioxide) is absorbed by autotrophs (plants)
* enters the food chain (animals consume plants, goes on)
* animals and plants die, bodies decompose and carbon is released back into the atmosphere

\
photosynthesis (capture carbon dioxide)

respiration (relases carbon back into the atmosphere)

people affect the carbon cycle by…

* deforestation (less photosynthesis occurs… less carbon dioxide absored)
* burning fossil fuels (more carbon dioxide emissions released)

phosphorus cycle

* weathering (phosphours rocks)
* distributed in soils and water
* absorpition by plants and animals
* release back into the environment by decomposition

humans and phosphorus

* mine rock for fertilizers
* cutting down rain forests reduceses avalibility
* add excessive amounts to aquatic ecosystems (bad, increase growth of algae)

troposphere

* bottom layer of atmosphere
* closest to earth
* where all the weathering happenes

air pressure

* amount of pressure the air puts on somthing


* measured in mmHg or Atm

**falling pressure** (lower) = cloudy poor weather (ex. hurricane)

**rising pressure** (high) = clear fair weather (sinking cool air, nice day)

* changes altitude
* measured by barometer

factors governing the global circulation of air

* **warm air** near the equator rises (low pressure)
* **cold air** near the poles sink (higher pressure)
* wind is the movement of air from high to low pressure

latitude

around the earth (lat is fat)

longitude

how long the earth is

hadley cells

* occur on either side of the equator
* formed from air rising at the equator and sinking at about 30 degrees latitude north and south

ferrell cells

* occur at the mid-latitudes
* formed from air sinking at about 30 degrees latitude north and south and rising at about 60 degrees latitude north and south

polar cells

* occurs near the poles
* formed from air rising at about 60 degrees latitude north and south and sinking at the poles

global ocean conveyor belt

constantly moving system of deep-ocean circulation driven by temperature and salinity

upwelling

when deep, cold water rises toward the surface bring nutrients with it (cycle)

* increases productivity

el nino

above-average sea-surface **(warming)** temperatures that periodically develop across the east-central equatorial pacific

la nina

periodic **cooling** of sea-surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial pacific

greenhouse gasses

gasses in atmosphere that traps heat, makes planet warmer

rain shadow effect

air going over mountains means air has to rise → warmer climate

rain on side of the mountain going up

air sinks near the bottom of the mountain, dry

desert

* little precipitation
* little vegetation
* adaptions
* may be hot, temmperate or cold

grassland

* grasses dominate
* herbivores
* tropical-savannas
* temerate- cold winters, dry summers
* polar-tundra
* permafrost (permanant layer of solid ice just under the soil, found in the tundra biome)
* transition biome between dessert and forrest

chaparral

* temperate (not to extremes)
* shrubs
* fires

forest

* tropical rain forest
* bodiversity!
* temperate deciduous
* moderate temperatures
* evergreen coniferous
* boreal forests/taiga
* temperate rain forest

coastal zones

* warm and nutrient rich
* 90% of marine life live in coastal zones
* **continental shelf** (warm, nutrient-rich, shallow part of the ocean)
* **estuaries-** freshwater and saltwater meet
* wetlands
* mangrove swamps

coral reefs

* high biodiversity
* warm tropical biomes
* clear water

open ocean

the desert of the sea

**1) pelagic** (exists in the open ocean, which consists of all water that is not close to the ocean floor)

**2) euphotic** (upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis)

**3) bathyal** (dimly lit middle zone that does mpt contain photosynthesizing producers becuse of a lack of sunlight)

**4) abyssal** (the portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and where temperatures are cold and presures intense)

freshwater

* lakes
* rivers
* wetlands

genetic

* within a population, there are a variety of this difference
* this diversity is very important because it gives resistance to diseases

species

when looking at an ecosystem, you see a lot of different __________

* humans can get involved and monopolize to keep the same kinds (ex. planting the same type of plant over and over again)

ecological

relationship between the environment and the living things

* different types around the world (diversity)


* we rely on different ecosystems (woods, animals)

functional

idea that humans need a variety of environments, species, genetics to serve our purpose (find a way to use specific things)

instrumental (utilitarian)

need things to make food, medicine, fuel, ect. from different species

genetic diversity

greater number of species in each trophic level has a greater chance of survival

recreational/cultural

ecotourism- humans like to visit pretty/different ecosystems

aesthetic

people like it because its pretty

makes things better and fun! (enriches life)

species richness

the number of species in a given area (biodiversity)

species evenness

the relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area (if there is one species that dominates, that is uneven)

different species that are in even amounts!

evolution

a slow change over a period of time

mutation

change in DNA from the normal state

* this can lead to evolution bc it results in new variety in traits
* if change gets passed on through generations, it can become more common (result in biodiversity)

natural selection

charles darwin’s idea that the environment changed, and as it changed… some species were suited and survived, some died and did not survive (selects certain traits that will survive, passed down to future generations)

* directional
* stabilizing
* disruptive