Unit 1: The living world- Ecosystems

community

A group of interdependent organisms sharing a habitat and interacting with each other

ecosystem

all living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things in an area

biome

a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
shares a combination of avg, yearly temp. & precipitation (climate)

individual

one organism, a single living thing

population

group of individuals of the same species

competition

organisms fighting over a resource like food or shelter
limits/reduces population size

predation

one organism using another for energy source (hunters, parasites, herbivores)

mutualism

Organisms of diff. species living close together in a way that benefits both (+/+)

commensalism

relationship that benefits one organism and doesn't impact the other (+/O)

predators

animals that kill and eat other animals for energy

parasites

use a host organism for energy, often without killing the host and living inside host

parasitoids

lay eggs inside a host organism; eggs hatch and larvae eat host for energy

symbiosis

any close and long-term interaction between two species in an ecosystem
types include mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism

coral

provide reef structure and CO2 for algae; algae provide sugars for them to use as energy

lichen

composite organism of fungi living with algae; algae provide sugars and energy; fungi provide nutrients

algae

a very simple plant without stems or leaves that grows in or near water; provides sugars for coral and lichen in a mutualistic relationship
take CO2 out of the ocean and atm. through photosynthesis

resource partitioning

different species using the same resources in different ways, places, or times
can reduce the negative impact of competition on survival

temporal partitioning

using resources at different times

spatial partitioning

using different areas of a shared habitat

morphological partitioning

using different resources based on different evolved body features

biomes

a broad, regional type of ecosystem characterized by distinctive climate and soil conditions and a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions.

tundras

primarily located in the artic
most inhospitable of biomes
cold, dry, short growing season
layer of permafrost
Low soil nutrients, water availability, & biodiversity
lichen and low scrubby vegetation (no trees)

boreal

regions at latitudes between 50 and 60 degrees north of the equator

tropical

warm, moist climate zone near the equator

tropical rainforest

high temperatures/precipitation throughout year
warm, wet climate = high biodiversity
latitudes near the equator
nutrient-poor acidic soil (high competition from so many diff. plant species. low organic matter)

boreal forest (taiga)

coniferous (needle-like leaved) forest
short, warm, moist summers
long, cold, dry winters
nutrient-poor acidic soil
low temp. & decomposition rate of dead org. matter

temperate forest

well-defined seasons with a distinct period of winter
generally found at latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees north and south of the equator
nutrient-rich soil (lots of dead org. matter - leaves & warm temp/moisture for decomp.)

shifting biomes

Biomes shift in location on earth as climate changes

salinity

How much salt there is in a body of water, determines which species can survive & usability for drinking

flow

Determines which plants & organisms can survive, how much O2 can dissolve into wate

depth

Influences how much sunlight can penetrate and reach plants below the surface for photosynthesis

temperatures of water

Warmer water holds less dissolved O2 so it can support fewer aq. organisms

littoral zone

shallow water near lakeshore with plentiful sunlight and nutrient inputs from the surrounding land
supports a wide variety of emergent plants & animals

limnetic zone

open-water zone
lake's sunlit surface layer where most photosynthesis takes place (phytoplankton)

profundal zone

deep, open water layer too dark for photosynthesis
cooler, less dissolved O2
supports fish adapted to cooler waters

benthic zone

murky bottom where inverts (bugs) and decomposers live
nutrient-rich sediments

wetlands

area w/ soil submerged/saturated in water for at least part of the year, but shallow enough for emergent plants
Plants have to be adapted to living with roots submerged in standing water (cattails, lily pads, reeds)

swamp

A wetland ecosystem in which shrubs and trees grow
shallow water rich in vegetation

marsh

a wetland typically covered with grasses
shallow water allows emergent plants to grow above surface

bog

ponds covered in thick floating mats of vegetation
acidic soil
develop in depressions where water flow is low or nonexistant

estuary

areas where rivers empty into ocean
Mix of fresh & salt water (species adapt to this)
High productivity (plant growth) due to nutrients in sediments deposited by river

salt marsh

Estuary habitat along coast in temperate climates
Breeding ground for many fish & shellfish species

mangrove swamps

Estuary habitat along coast of tropical climates
Mangrove trees with long, stilt roots stabilize shoreline & provide habitat for many species of fish & shellfish

coral reef

Warm shallow waters beyond the shoreline; most diverse marine (ocean) biome on earth
Mutualistic relationship between coral (animals) & algae (plants)
Coral take CO2 out of ocean to create calcium carbonate exoskeleton (the reef) & also provide CO2 to the algae
Algae live in reef & provide sugar to the coral through photosynthesis

intertidal zone

Narrow band of coastline between high & low tide
Organisms must be adapted to survive crashing waves & direct sunlight/heat during low tide
Shells & tough outer skin can prevent drying out (desiccation) during low tides

open ocean

Low productivity/area as only algae & phytoplankton can survive in most of ocean
So large that algae & phytoplankton produce a lot of earth's O2 & absorb atmospheric CO2p

carbon cycle

the complex flow of carbon between inorganic carbon reservoirs and organic sources within the environment

carbon sink

reservoir that take in more carbon than it releases
Ocean (algae/sediments), plants, soil

carbon source

Reservoir that releases more carbon than it takes in
fossil fuel combustion and deforestation

direct exchange/diffusion

CO2 moves directly between atmosphere and the ocean by dissolving into and out of ocean water at the surface
happens very quickly in equal directions, balancing levels of CO2 between atm. and ocean

phytoplankton

Microscopic, free-floating, autotrophic organisms that function as producers in aquatic ecosystems

sedimentation

calcium carbonate precipitates out as sediment and settles on the ocean floor

burial

Long term Carbon Reservoir
over long periods of time water pressure compresses C-containing sediments on the ocean floor into sedimentary stone (limestone, sandstone)

extraction

digging up or mining of fossil fuels

fossil fuels

coal, oil, and natural gas are formed from fossilized remains of organic matter

combustion

burning fossil fuels as energy source, releasing CO2 into atm.

nitrogen cycle

Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms between living organisms and the environment
between sources & sinks/reservoirs

atmosphere

A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

DNA

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

amino acids

building blocks of proteins

fixation

converting elements (carbon) into a usable form
Ex: CO2 to C6H12O6

bacterial fixation

certain bacteria that live in the soil, or in symbiotic relationship with plant root nodules. Convert N2 into ammonia (NH3)

synthetic fixation

Fossil fuel combustion converting N2 gas into ammonia (NH3)

assimilation

plants and animal taking N in and incorporating it into their body

ammonification

process by which fungi, microbes, and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead biomass and waste and convert back into NH3 and return it to the soil

nitrification

conversion of NH4 into nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3) by soil bacteria

denitrification

bacteria convert nitrites and nitrates back into nitrogen gas, returning nitrogen to the atmosphere

leaching

removal of dissolved Nitrates (NO3) from soil by water moving downwards
solid particles dissolved in liquid are transported to another location

eutrophication (nitrogen)

excessive richness of nitrogen in a body of water, due to runoff from the land
causes algae blooms and a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen

ammonia volatilization

excess fertilizer use can lead to NH3 gas entering atmosphere

phosphorous cycle

the cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment
slower than other nutrient cycles
no gas/atmosphere phase

ATP

main energy source that cells use for most of their work

weathering

The breaking down of rocks and sediments on the Earth's surface
releases phosphate ions

synthetic sources (phosphorous)

mining phosphate minerals and adding to products like synthetic fertilizers and detergents/cleaners

geological uplift

tectonic plate collision forcing up rock layers that form mountains
P cycle start over with weathering and release of phosphate from rock

states of matter

the physical forms of matter, which include solid, liquid, and gas

precipitation

Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface

evaporation

The change of a substance from a liquid to a gas

plant uptake

water from the soil is taken by the roots of plants and used to make the plant grow

aquifer

groundwater reservoirs often tapped by wells

infiltration

water on the ground surface tricks through soil down into groundwater aquifers

condensation

The change of state from a gas to a liquid

transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant. draws water up from the ground from roots to leaves

evapotranspiration

amount of H2O that enters atmosphere from transpiration and evaporation combined
driven by energy from the sun

permeable

able to let water pass through

groundwater recharge

A process by which water percolates through the soil and works its way into an aquifer.

kcal/m2/yr

unit for how productivity is measured

primary productivity

rate that solar energy is converted into org. compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time
rate of photosynthesis of all producers in an area
rate of plant growth

net primary productivity

amount of energy (biomass) leftover for consumers after plants have used some for respiration

gross primary productivity

the total amount of sun energy (light) plants capture + convert to energy (glucose) through photosynthesis

respiration loss

plants use up some of the energy they generate via photosynthesis by doing cell. resp. (movement, internal transportation, etc.)

ecological efficiency

The portion of incoming solar energy that is captured by plants & converted into biomass (NPP or food available for consumers)

trophic level

each step in a food chain or food web

producers

Organisms that produce their own food

primary consumers

plants produce/convert sun's light energy into chemical energy (glucose)

secondary consumer

carnivores/omnivores that eat primary consumers or herbivores

tertiary consumers

top/apex predators that eat secondary consumers or carnivores & omnivores

apex predator

the top predator in an ecosystem/food chain
no natural predators

herbivore

organism that obtains energy by eating only plants

carnivore

organism that obtains energy by eating animals