AP Environmental Science-Unit 1-Ecosystem Interactions and TOC

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving components of environment.

Biotic Factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment

Habitat

Where an organism lives and any aspect of the location

Niche

Full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions

Organism

Any form of life. Belongs to any of the 6 kingdoms

Species

Group of organisms of same type that can reproduce to have fertile offspring

Population

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

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. All abiotic and biotic factors.

Producers/Autotrophs

Organisms that make their own food from compounds and energy obtained from the environment

Photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

Plankton

Small, weakly-swimming, free floating organisms

Decomposers

Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms

Phytoplankton

Photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean

Coral Reef

The most diverse marine biome on Earth, found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline. Only in waters 18-30 degrees celsius

Consumers

An organism that obtains energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains

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

Coral bleaching

A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white. When this happens, the habitat for the animals are destroyed

What are some major threats to coral reefs?

Overfishing, fishing using cyanide and dynamite, pollution from sewage and agriculture, massive outbreaks of predatory starfish, invasive species, and sedimentation from poor land use practices

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy lost through respiration by producers sublated from the gross primary productivity of an ecosystem.

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

What limits the number of trophic levels in an ecological pyramid?

Decrease in energy at higher trophic levels limits this. When the number of links keep increasing, the amount of energy available decreases, as only 10% of energy gets transferred from one trophic level to the next

Ecological Efficiency

Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web

Biomass

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region

Pyramid of energy

A pyramid that shows the total amount of energy available at each trophic level

Biomass Pyramid

Diagram representing the biomass in each trophic level of an ecosystem

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

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

Fresh Water Biomes

ponds, lakes, streams, rivers. **Vital source of drinking water**

For a primary producer, the main function of photosynthesis is to manufacture

glucose

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy produced at each trophic level is available to the next level. The amount of energy passed up to the levels of the food pyramid reduces as you go up.

The two major processes involved in the carbon cycle are

photosynthesis and cellular respiration

The ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystems is the

sun

The approximate efficiency of the conversion of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis

1%

Tragedy of the Commons

situation in which people acting individually and in their own interest use up commonly available but limited resources, creating disaster for the entire community

invasive species

plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native

invasive species solutions

1. sterilization
2. lampricides
3. barriers/ traps
4. pheromones and alarm cues
5. regulations

indicator species

Species that serve as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded.

foundation species

species that plays a major role in shaping a community by creating and enhancing a habitat that benefits other species

endangered species

A species whose numbers are so small that the species is at risk of extinction

threatened species

A species that could become endangered in the near future

endemic species

species that are native to and found only within a limited area

generalist species

species with a broad ecological niche

specialist species

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

keystone species

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

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) formula

NPP = GPP - R where R = respiratory loss

units for Primary Productivity

kcal/m2/yr.

Net Primary Productivity

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers use for respiration

provisioning

provides humans natural resources (production of food, water, wood…)

regulating

benefits from ecosystem processes. climate regulation, flood regulation, water purification.

cultural

cultural benefits like recreation education or spiritual benefits

supporting

services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services. (nutrient cycling, soil formation,habitat provision, primary production)