APES Unit 1

community ecology

community ecology

the study of interactions between species

symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

biosphere

sum of all earth's ecosystems

competition

fight for limited resources

competitive exclusion principle

Two species competing for same limiting resource cannot coexist in one place; one species will have an advantage that will eventually lead to competitive exclusion

resource partitioning

species evolve to divide a resource through behavior or morphology in order to avoid competition

morphology

study of structure/form of organisms

predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for energy

parasitoid

consumes its prey by laying its eggs inside another organism where they hatch and consume it from the inside

parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed; often one organism lives on the other and consumes part of it to survive

pathogen

as organism that causes disease (ex. fungi, bacteria, protist, virus)

herbivory

consumption of plants by animals

mutualism

mutually beneficial relationship

commensalism

one species benefits, other unaffected

photosynthesis (respiration backwards)

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches & oxygen is released

native species

species that have naturally evolved in an area/ecosystem

exotic/alien species

species that live outside their historical range & have an impact (negative) on native species

invasive species

spread quickly and cause harm to native species

biome

region where particular animals & plants can be found

terrestrial biomes

defined by dominant plant growth forms as well as animal temp & precipitation

habitat

where a particular species lives in nature; not characterized by plants

Tundra

cold, treeless, permafrost, frozen, layer of soil (this prevents drainage)

Taiga/Boreal Forest

mainly coniferous evergreen trees-tolerate cold winters & short growing seasons

Temperate Rainforest

costal, moderate temps, high precipitation

Temperate Seasonal Forest

warm summers, cold winters, over 1m annual precipitation

Shrubland/Woodland

hot & dry summers, mild & rainy winters

Temperate Grassland/Cold Desert

cold & harsh winters, hot & dry summers

Tropical Rainforests

warm, wet, minimal temperature variation through year, high precipitation, typically poor soil

Savanna/Tropical Seasonal Forest

warm temps, distinct wet & dry seasons

Hot Desert

hot temp, dry conditions, sparse vegetation (high pressure)

What changes boundaries of terrestrial biomes?

climate change, human development

ecosystem

defined by interactions between biotic & abiotic factors but some boundaries are more easily identifiable than others
energy & matter cycles through ecosystems

the types of freshwater biomes

streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands

types of saltwater biomes

estuaries, salt marshes, coral reefs, open ocean, mangrove swamps, intertidal zones

Brakish water

mixture of fresh and salt water

Littoral Zone (lakes/ponds)

shallow, near shore

limnetic zone (lakes/ponds)

deepest area with sunlight penetration

profundal zone (lakes and ponds)

zone past where sunlight reaches

benthic zone (lakes and ponds)

bottom of lake or pond

phytoplankton

floating photosynthetic algae

oligotrophic lake

low nutrients (typically clear water)

mesotrophic lake

moderate nutrients

eutrophic lake

high nutrients

turbidity

when the high nutrient density of eutrophic lakes blocks light

cultural eutrophiciation

nutrients are supplied by humans (runoff etc.)

Estuaries

the tidal mouth of a large river, where the salty tide meets the fresh stream. carries nutrients, filters contaminants before they get to ocean

Salt Marsh

basically an estuary

mangrove swamp

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

intertidal zones

periodically submerged and exposed by the tides, species here adapt to extreme changes

coral reefs

diverse ecosystem formed from the calcium carbonate shells secreted by corals

coral bleaching

When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. Does not mean coral is dead

photic zone (open ocean)

area where sunlight can reach

aphotic zone (open ocean)

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis

chemosynthesis

Process by which some organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates (humans, bacteria)

Human impacts on terrestrial biomes bc we're the most impactful species on the planet

Lodging, habitation, agriculture, .ogging, tar sands, natural gas, timber, palm oil, soy bean, cattle grazing

Anthropogenic

caused by humans

biogeochemical cycles

matter moves through ecosystems through biological, geological, & chemical processes

Resoviors

Sources of an element

Carbon cycle steps

Aerobic respiration-CO2 output
Sedimentation-CO2 in ocean used to make Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
extraction-fossil fuel extraction brings caron to earth surface
combustion-fossil fuel & plant matter turns to CO2 in atmosphere

Greenhouse gases

atmospherical gases trapping in heat

Steady State (carbon)

carbon input=carbon output

Limiting Nutrient

nutrient limited enough to dictate reproduction rate

ammonification (aka mineralization)

decomposers like bacteria or fungi convert organic waste into ammonia or ammonium

denitrification (can be anaerobic)

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

anaerobic

without oxygen

nitrogen fixation

conversion of nitrogen gas into forms plants & algae can use

nitrification

ammonia & ammonium is converted to nitrate ions (NO3-) or nitrate

assimilation (nitrogen cycle)

process of making nitrogen sources such as ammonium ions into organic nitrogen compounds (ex. amino acids-protein)

Phosphorus cycle

Only cycle which does not pass through the atmosphere
assimilation & mineralization

abiotic phosphorus movement

sedimentation, geologic uplift, weathering

algal blooms

a common effect of extreme phosphorus presence often due to fertilizer runoff

hypoxic

low oxygen area caused by algae decomposition

dead zone

when oxygen concentrations become so low that the area is inhabitable

transpiration (water cycle)

water released into atmosphere during photosynthesis

evapotranspiration (water cycle)

evaporation & transpiration combo

percolocation (water cycle)

water movement through soil

infiltration (water cycle)

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

interception (water cycle)

precipitaion that doesn't reach soil

impermeable surface

pavement or buildings that do not allow water penetration
can cause flooding and high forms of erosion

producer/autotroph

bottomlevel of evergy chart that photosynthsizes or chemosynthsizes

cellular respiration

the process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy from food/chemical compounds (glucose & oxygen -->water, carbon dioxide, ATP)

anaerobic respiration

without oxygen
glucose --> lactic acid

primary productivity

rate of converting solar energy into organic compunds

gross primary productivity

all solar energy converted by photosynthesis

net primary productivity

GPP - respiration by producers

biomass

mass of living matter in an area

standing crop

biomass measured at a given time

why does primary productivity have low efficiency?

NPP in reality is 25-50% of GPP. In aquatic ecosystems, not much sunlight is accessible, so oceans have especially low primary productivity.

consumers/heterotrophs

obtain energy by consuming other organisms

herbivore

primary consumers

carnivores

secondary consumers

trophic levels

levels in an energy pyramid

scavengers

an organism that feeds on the dead bodies of other organisms (vulture, raccoon)

detritivores

eat and break down dead tissue and waste (earthworm, sea cucumber)

decomposer

fungi & bacteria that chemically break down organic matter

Ecological efficiency

Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web
10% rule (as shown by trophic pyramids)

food web

interconnected food chains

feedback loop

Occurs when an output of matter, energy, or information is fed back into the system as an input and leads to changes in that system.

deposition

gas to solid

sublimation

solid to gas