Unit 1- Living World Ecosystems

Ecosystem

A community of living (biotic) organisms interacting with the non-living (abiotic) components of their environment as a system through various nutrients and energy cycles.

Organism

A living thing that can function on its own.

Ecological Niche

A particular area within a habitat occupied by an organism, as well as the function of that organism within its ecological community.

Generalists

Species able to survive on a wide variety of food resources and withstand a wide range of environmental conditions.

Specialists

Species with a specific/limited number of prey and live in narrow niches.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms of the same or different species.

Law of Tolerance

The existence, abundance, and distribution of species depend on their tolerance level to physical and chemical factors.

Limiting Factor

Any abiotic factor that limits or prevents the growth of a population.

Predator-Prey Relationship

A feeding relationship between two species where the predator hunts and kills the prey.

Biomes

Major regional or global biotic communities characterized by dominant forms of plant life and prevailing climates.

Tundra Soil

Thin, shallow, easily compacted, and nutrient-poor soil that forms slowly.

Permafrost

A layer of permanently frozen subsoil found in tundra regions.

Tundra Vegetation

Includes cold-resistant plants like low shrubs, mosses, grasses, approximately 400 flower varieties, and lichen.

Tundra Adaptations

Plants adapted to sweeping winds, disturbances of the soil, short clumped growth for winter snowfall survival, and photosynthesis in low light and temperatures.

Tundra Reproduction

Most plants reproduce by budding and division rather than flowering.

Tundra Food Webs

Simple with low biodiversity, characterized by animals specialized for long, cold winters and quick breeding in summer.

Tundra Animals

Include herbivores like lemmings, caribou, Arctic hares, and carnivores like Arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears.

Alpine Tundra

Located on mountains at high altitudes where trees cannot grow, with a growing season of approximately 180 days and well-drained soil.

Alpine Tundra Vegetation

Similar to Arctic tundra, with grasses, dwarf trees, and small-leafed shrubs.

Alpine Tundra Animals

Include mountain goats, sheep, elk, birds, beetles, grasshoppers, and butterflies.

Roads and Railroads

Narrow floodplains, increase flooding, interrupt water flows, reduce sediment renewal, and deplete nutrients affecting wildlife behavior.

River Zones:

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Headwaters with clear water, high oxygen, and freshwater species like trout.

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Wider, warmer streams with more sediment, nutrients, and higher species diversity.

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Murky, warmer water with high sediment and nutrient content where tributaries join to form rivers.

Riparian Areas

Lands near water bodies supporting hydrophilic vegetation dependent on free water in the soil.

Carbon Cycle

Exchange of carbon among biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere impacting coral reefs, egg cells, and long-term carbon storage.

Nitrogen Cycle

Essential for amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and plant growth, altered by human activities leading to water acidification and eutrophication.

Phosphorous Cycle

Essential for ATP, cell membranes, bones, and teeth, primarily found in sedimentary rocks, impacted by runoff and large-scale mining.

Hydrologic Cycle

Driven by solar energy, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff, influenced by human activities like agriculture and land use changes.

Aquifer Depletion

Caused by sustained groundwater pumping exceeding recharge rates, leading to a drop in the water table.

Groundwater Extraction

Increased rates due to population growth and changes in global weather patterns.

Effects of Groundwater Depletion

Include increased energy costs, land subsidence, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion.

Primary Productivity

Process where plants use sunlight for photosynthesis to produce organic compounds.

Photosynthesis

Plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and release oxygen.

Trophic Levels

Organism's position in a food chain, with energy transfer efficiency influencing biomass distribution.

Energy Flow

Only about 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels due to inefficiencies like heat loss.

10% Rule

States that energy is lost as heat as it moves between trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Biomass Pyramids

Show the amount of organic mass at each trophic level, with some pyramids being inverted.

Energy Pyramids

Illustrate the energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem, with energy losses at each level.