Bio - Module 2

ecology

The study of how organisms interact with the biotic and abiotic environment

1st law of thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

2nd law of thermodynamics

when energy is transformed from one for to another some energy is lost as heat or entropy

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.

producer

An organism that makes its own food

Consumer

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms

Autroph

organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer

Heterotroph

organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer

tertiary level

highest level on the energy pyramid ex: hawk

secondary level

second highest level on the energy pyramid with only one level above ex: snake

primary level

3rd highest level on the energy pyramid or 2nd from the bottom, multiple predators ex: rats

producer level

bottom on the energy pyramid, has the most energy ex: grasses

food chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

food web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

food chain vs food web

all chains, complex vs. 1 system/relationship

detritivores

Organisms that eat dead organic matter

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

trophic levels

The hierarchical levels of the food chain through which energy flows from primary producers to primary consumers, secondary consumers and so on.

biogeochemical

process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another

biogeochemical cycle

Water Cycle (Hydrologic Cycle)

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

nitrogen cycle

The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere

phosphorus cycle

The movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks.

Biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Population

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

population ecologists

focus on how the numbers of individuals in a population change over time

per capita growth rate (r)

the number of individuals added during some interval divided by the initial population size

r=0

no change

r>0

positive change

r<0

negative change

exponential growth equation

G=rN

per capita growth rate

r=(B-D)/N

b

birth rate

d

death rate

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

logistic population growth equation

G=rN((K-N)/K)

density dependent factors

limiting factor that depends on population size

density-independent factors

limiting factors whose influence is not affected by population density

competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

ecological community

A group of populations of different species living in the same area with varying degrees of interactions with others

community ecology

The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization

intraspecific interactions

interactions between members of the same species

interspecific interactions

relationships between species in a community

Predation

a relationship between two species in which one species, the predator, feeds on the other species, the prey

Parasitism

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

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Commensalism

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

exponential growth

Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate

logistic growth

Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

G

growth rate

Succession

The series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time

primary succession

succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists

secondary succession

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

Coevolution

Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other

ecosystem ecology

emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among the various biotic and abiotic components

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of algae, and the eventual drying up of said body of water

biological magnification

increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web

qualitative data

Information describing color, odor, shape, or some other physical characteristic

quantitative data

Data associated with mathematical models and statistical techniques used to analyze spatial location and association.

point sources

discharge pollutants at specific locations through drain pipes, ditches, or sewer lines into bodies of surface water

non-point sources

Large or dispersed land areas such as crop fields, streets, and lawns that discharge pollutants into the environment over a large area.