APES Final exam fall

Threatened species (IUCN)

According to the International Union forConservation of Nature (IUCN), species that have a high risk of extinction in the future.

near-threatened species

species that are very likely to become threatened in the future

least-concern species

Species that are widespread and abundant

intrinsic value

value independent of any benefit to humans

provision

a good that humans can use directly

native species

species that live in their historical range, typically where they have lived for thousands or millions of years

invasive species

A species, often introduced by humans, that takes hold outside its native range.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

a 1973 treaty formed to control the international trade of threatened plants and animals

endangered species

A species in danger of becoming extinct in the near future

Biosphere

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

autotroph

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy (also known as autotroph)

photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.

cellular respiration

Process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers

trophic levels

levels of nourishment in a food chain

food chain

the sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers

food web

A complex arrangement of interrelated food chains illustrating the flow of energy between interdependent organisms.

scavenger

A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms

Detritivore

organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter

decomposers

fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

gross primary productivity

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

net primary productivity

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

Biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

standing crop

the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

hydrologic cycle

the movement of water through the biosphere

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant

Runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

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

nitrogen fixation

a process that converts nitrogen gas into forms of nitrogen that producers can use

nitrification

the conversion of ammonia into nitrite and nitrate

Assimilation

the process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues

Denitrification

process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium

Leaching

removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving downwards

phosphorus cycle

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

Watershed

All land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere

Stratosphere

The second-lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Above the troposphere

adiabatic cooling

the cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands

latent heat release

the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water

Hadley cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S.

polar cell

A convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60 degrees N and 60 degrees S and sinks at the poles, 90 degrees N and 90 degrees S

ferrell cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells

coriolis effect

the deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth

rain shadow

a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

Upwelling

The movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface

El Nino Southern Oscillation

A reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific

Tundra

An extremely cold, dry biome.

boreal forest

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons

temperate rainforest

a coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

temperate seasonal forest

A biome with warmer summers and colder winters than temperate rainforests and dominated by deciduous trees.

woodland

biome characterized by small trees and mixed shrub communities

temperate grassland

biome characterized by deep, nutrient-rich soil that supports many grass species

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.

Estuary

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

coral reef

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

open ocean

deep ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom

species richness

the number of different species in a community

species evenness

relative abundance of each species

niche generalist

a species that can live under a wide range of abiotic or biotic conditions

niche specialist

a species that is specialized to live in a specific habitat or to feed on a small group of species

mass extinction

event in which many types of living things become extinct at the same time

Population

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

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

age structure

a description of how many individuals fit into particular age categories

limiting resource

a resource that a population cannot live without and that occurs in quantities lower than the population would require to increase in size

density dependent factors

limiting factor that depends on population size

carrying capacity

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

density independent factor

limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size

J-shaped curve

the curve of the exponential growth model when graphed

S-shaped curve

the shape of the logistic growth model when graphed

Overshoot

when a population becomes larger than the environment's carrying capacity

K-selected species

a species with a low intrinsic growth rate that causes the population to increase slowly until it reaches carrying capacity

r-selected species

a species that has a high intrinsic growth rate, which often leads to population overshoots and die-offs

survivorship curve

Graph showing the number of survivors in different age groups for a particular species.

Type 1 survivorship curve

a pattern of survival over time in which there is high survival throughout most of the life span, but then individuals start to die in large numbers as they approach old age

Type II survivorship curve

a pattern of survival over time in which there is a relatively constant decline in survivorship throughout most of the life span

Type III survivorship

a pattern of survival over time in which there is low survivorship early in life with few individuals reaching adulthood

corridor

strips of natural habitat that connect populations

symbiotic relationship

close interaction between species in which one species lives in or on the other

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

parasitoid

A specialized type of predator that lays eggs inside other organisms - referred to as its host

Parasitism

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

Mutualism

an interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival or reproduction for both species

Commensalism

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

keystone species

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

primary succession

ecological succession occurring on surfaces that are initially devoid of soil

secondary succession

the succession of plant life that occurs in areas that have been disturbed but have not lost their soil

pioneer species

First species to populate an area during primary succession

island biogeography theory

A theory that was initially applied to oceanic islands to explain how species come to be distributed among them. Aspects of the theory include immigration and extinction rates,island size, and distance from the mainland.

Asthenosphere

The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats.

Lithosphere

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

hot spot

In geology, a place where molten material from Earth's mantle reaches the lithosphere.

plate tectonics

A theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move.

subduction zone

The region where oceanic plates sink down into the asthenosphere.

divergent plate boundary

an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other