apes unit 1 vocab

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biotic factors

living parts of an ecosystem

Abiotic factors

nonliving parts of an ecosystem

Predation

process by which individuals of one species (predators) capture, kill, and consume individuals of another species (prey)

Predator

an animal that hunts other animals for food

Prey

organism that is killed and eaten by another organism

Symbiosis

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

Mutualism

relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Commensalism

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

Parasitism

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

Competition

common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource; for example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. It may be intraspecific or interspecific.

Resource partitioning

process by which species use different resources or use shared resources in different ways

Fundamental niche

The niche species could potentially occupy.

Realized niche

The niche species actually occupies.

Interspecies competition

competition for resources between different species

Biome

major regional complex of similar communities recognized by plant type and vegetation structure

Terrestrial biome

biomes that are found on land (ex. tundra, taiga, grassland, etc)

Climate

average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time

Climatograph

a climate diagram showing an area's mean monthly temperature and precipitation, usually obtained over 30 years

Latitude

distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees

Longitude

distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Altitude

elevation above sea level

Aquatic biomes

freshwater and marine

Freshwater biomes

lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands

Marine biomes

ocean, corals reefs, marshlands, and estuaries

Salinity

the total amount of dissolved salts in a water sample.

Turbidity

measure of how clear water is.

Reservoir

where nutrients or water are stored for varying amounts of time

Source

a pool that releases more nutrients than it accepts

Sink

a pool that accepts more nutrients than it releases

Nitrogen fixation

lightning or nitrogen-fixing bacteria combine (fix) nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonium, which can be used by plants

Nitrification

the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil

Denitrification

process in which nitrogen compounds in soil or water are converted back into nitrogen gas by bacteria and returned to the atmosphere

Ammonification

the formation of ammonia compounds in the soil by the action of bacteria on decaying matter

Eutrophication

occurs when fertilizers, animal waste, sewage, or other substances rich in nitrogen and phosphorus flow into waterways, causing extensive algae growth

Evaporation

a change of water from a liquid state to a gas

Condensation

change of water from a gas state to a liquid

Transpiration

evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant

Infiltration

water filters through from the surface into the soil

Percolation

downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity.

Sublimation

change directly from the solid to the gaseous state without becoming liquid

Photosynethesis

converts solar energy into chemical energy

Chemosynthesis

process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce their own food

Primary productivity

rate in which solar energy is converted into organic compounds by photosynthesis over a unit of time

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

total rate of photosynthesis in a given area

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers in a given area after subtracting the energy lost to respiration

Trophic levels

each step in a food chain or food web

10% rule

only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level.

1st law of thermodynamics

energy cannot be created or destroyed only altered

2nd law of thermodynamics

energy cannot be changed from one form to another without a loss of usable energy

Producers

organisms that make their own food

Consumers

organisms that eat living producers and/or other consumers for food.

Primary producers

an autotroph, usually a photosynthetic organism. Collectively, autotrophs make up the trophic level of an ecosystem that ultimately supports all other levels.

Primary consumer

consumer that feeds directly on producers

Secondary consumer

an organism that eats primary consumers

Tertiary consumers

carnivores that eat secondary consumers

Detritivore

organisms that scavenge waste products or dead bodies

Omnivore

consumer that eats both plants and animals

Herbivore

consumer that eats only plants.

Food chain

a linear series of feeding relationships

Decomposer

organisms that break down leaf litter and other nonliving material into simpler chemicals that can be used by plants

Food web

a community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

Positive feedback loop

mechanism that drives or enhances change

Negative feedback loop

a mechanism of response in which a stimulus initiates reactions that reduce the stimulus

Herbivory

interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)

keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

tundra

a vast treeless plain in the arctic regions between the ice cap and the tree line

Taiga

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

Deciduous forest

A biome with four seasons, plants shed leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring.

Shrubland

biome with a low rainfall, yet hot, dry summers, and cold, wet winters; subject to fires

Temperate Rainforest

The cool, dense, rainy forests of the northern Pacific coast; enshrouded in fog much of the time; dominated by large conifers

Tropical Rainforest

biome near the equator with warm climate wet weather and lush plant growth

Savanna

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

Desert

An extremely dry area with little water and few plants

Pond

Typically smaller bodies of water and allow sunlight to the bottom surrounded by land

Marshland

low lying wetlands usually with grassy vegetation

Estuary

A habitat in which the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean.

Ocean

vast realm of open blue water, constantly mixed by wind, oceanic currents, surface waters turnover, covers 70% of earth's surface

Coral Reef

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

independant variable

Variable whose effect is being studied

Dependent variable

The variable that may change in response to manipulations.

Controlled Variable

variable is left unaltered

Ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Community

Assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and their abiotic environment

Biosphere

Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.