Unit one notes

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biotic Factors

The living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and bacteria.

Abiotic Factors

The non-living components of an ecosystem, such as water, sunlight, temperature, and soil.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making life possible for humans (e.g., clean water, pollination, climate regulation).

Biome

A large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region defined by its climate and dominant vegetation.

Tundra

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation.

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

A biome characterized by coniferous forests, cold temperatures, and moderate precipitation.

Temperate Rainforest

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation.

Temperate Seasonal Forest

A biome with warm summers, cold winters, and deciduous trees.

Tropical Rainforest

A warm and wet biome found near the equator with high biodiversity.

Savanna

A biome characterized by warm temperatures, dry and rainy seasons, and grassland with scattered trees.

Desert

A biome with low precipitation, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.

Chaparral

A biome with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with vegetation that is drought-resistant.

Freshwater Biomes

Aquatic systems that include rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands with low salinity.

Marine Biomes

Aquatic systems in oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries with high salinity.

Wetlands

Areas where water covers the soil or is present at or near the surface, supporting plant life adapted to saturated conditions.

Estuary

A coastal area where freshwater from rivers mixes with saltwater from the ocean, creating a unique ecosystem.

Coral Reef

A marine biome characterized by diverse species of corals and found in shallow, warm ocean waters.

Salinity

The concentration of salts in water, which affects the types of organisms that can live in aquatic systems.

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon through the atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and geosphere.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which organisms break down glucose to produce energy, releasing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

Nitrogen Cycle

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

Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is converted into ammonia by bacteria or through lightning.

Nitrification

The conversion of ammonia to nitrate by bacteria in the soil.

Denitrification

The process by which bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere.

Phosphorus Cycle

The movement of phosphorus through rocks, soil, water, and living organisms without involving the atmosphere.

Eutrophication

A process by which excess nutrients (like phosphorus) in water bodies lead to overgrowth of algae and depletion of oxygen.

Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

The movement of water through the atmosphere, land, and oceans via processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.

Evaporation

The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas due to heat from the sun.

Precipitation

Water falling from the atmosphere to the Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Infiltration

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

Transpiration

The release of water vapor from plants into the atmosphere.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of energy captured by producers (e.g., plants) through photosynthesis in an ecosystem.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy remaining after producers have used some of it for respiration; this energy is available to consumers.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, based on the flow of energy from primary producers to consumers.

Primary Producers (Autotrophs)

Organisms, like plants and algae, that produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Primary Consumers (Herbivores)

Organisms that consume primary producers for energy.

Secondary Consumers (Carnivores)

Organisms that consume herbivores.

Tertiary Consumers

Top predators in a food chain that consume secondary consumers.

Decomposers

Organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, that break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the ecosystem.

10% Rule

The principle that only about 10% of the energy at one troph