Ecology Test (Biology)

Biotic vs Abiotic Factors

Biotic = living organism

Abiotic = non-living factor in an ecosystem

Autotroph vs Heterotroph

Autotroph = produce their own food/energy out of sunlight through photosynthesis

heterotroph = gain energy from consuming other animals(heterotrophs) or from autotrophs

Herbivores

Consumers that gain energy from eating plants

Carnivores

Consumers that gain energy from eating other animals

Omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals

Decomposer

Organisms that feed by breaking down organic matter which produces detritus

Detritivore

Organisms that grind detritus particles into even smaller particles

Scavengers

Animals that consume the carcasses of other animals that have been left behind by other predators or have simply died

Community vs Population

A community is made up of different populations that live together in a specific area. A population is a group of a specific species that live in the same area.

Interdependence

Having a mutual dependence and being dependent on one another

Symbiosis

An independent relationship between two species (three types = mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism)

Niche

An organism’s specific job/functional role in its community

Producers

organisms that create their own energy/food molecules from carbon dioxide and water

Consumers

Organisms that must eat other plants/animals/organic matter to get their energy

Trophic levels

Position an organism occupies in a food chain/web or ecological pyramid

1. primary producers

2. primary consumers

3. secondary consumers

4. tertiary consumers

biomass reduction

decrease in the total weight/mass of living organisms/specific trophic level within a habitat or across the globe

Sustainability of food chains

Depends on the balance of energy flow (10% rule), nutrient recycling(decomposers breaking down dead matter/waste returning vital elements like nitrogen,carbon, and phosphorus to soil and water), and species across trophic levels

Biomagnification

Increase in the concentration of toxic substances like heavy metals/organic pollutants in the tissues of organisms at higher trophic levels

Keystone species

organism that has a large effect on its natural environment relative to its total population. Without the keystone species the ecosystem can experience many negative changes.

Linear growth

Happens when the quantity of a species increases by a constant amount of time for each equal unit of time.

exponential growth

Increase where the speed of growth becomes faster as the quantity gets larger.

logistic growth

the population/quantity increase where the the growth rate starts slowly, accelerates and then eventually stops as it reaches carrying capacity

Historical human population growth

Population has clearly increased over many years but in the long term it will become logistic growth.

decomposition

process where dead organic substanaces are broken down into inorganic matter like CO2 , water, simple sugars, or mineral salts

fossil fuels

non-renewable, carbon rich energy sources that have formed over million of years. coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Why do living things need Nitrogen

It is is a building block for essential life molecules, including proteins, DNA, and RNA.

bacteria driving the Nitrogen cycle

They drive the unreactive atmospheric nitrogen gas into chemical forms that plants and animals can use

Nitrification

oxidation of ammonia to nitrate.

Denitrification

process where nitrate is reduced to molecular nitrogen gas which then escapes into the atmosphere. it prevents the toxic build up of fixed nitorgen in soil and water ecosystems

Climate Change/Global Warming

Global warming is the long-term rise in earth’s average surface temperatures while climate change is the broader range of changes (weather shifts, sea level rise, and melting ice)

Greenhouse effect

natural process where heat-trapping gases in earth’s atmosphere keep the planet warm enough to sustain life.

Greenhouse gasses

atmospheric gases that absorb and trap radiation emitted from earth’s surface.

Historic vs current CO2 trends

growth of industries, cities, cars, etc has caused an increase in CO2 levels

Impact of CO2 on oceans

ocean acidification, rising sea levels, marine global warming.

Impact of CO2 on lands

Rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels and human land use significantly impact the Earth's terrestrial ecosystems, acting as both a driver of plant growth and a major source of greenhouse gas emissions

Footprint fairness

addresses the stark imbalances in resource consumption and emissions between different populations, income groups, and regions.

carbon footprints (U.S./local averages)

Total amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere by a person, family, business, event, etc.

Emission Sources

human activities (burning fossil fuels, managing land, and raising livestock)

Importance/history of the Ozone layer

Ozone layer protects life from harmful UV rays that could cause mutations and skin cancer.

Biodiversity

Net that supports communities, losing biodiversity is like snipping parts of the nets, weakening it’s ability to support life/keep the community thriving. Ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity all contribute to biodiversity.

Tragedy of the Commons

The exploitation/degradation of a shared resource due to individual short-term self-interest rather than long-term collective good and sustainable stewardship.

Biomass

organic matter derived from plants and animals that stores chemical energy from the sun

Carbon fixation

process where living organisms convert inorganic carbon dioxide into organic compounds like carbohydrates. foundation of the global carbon cycle and it provides the primary organic matter that fuels nearly all life on earth.

CSFs

chlorofluorocarbons that were degrading the ozone layer, causin dangerous UV exposure

Combustion

process of burning organic materials (wood,crops,plant wastes) in the presence of oxygen to release heat, light, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Carbon Emissions

Release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere primarily from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil,natural gas). They are a main driver of climate change and ocean acidification.

Intraspecific

Interaction that happens within the same species.

Interspecific

Interactions that happen between two different species.

Kyoto Protocol

treaty that legally require developed nations to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. It was created to fight global warming. U.S. never participated in it. This treaty eventually came to end and was turned into the Paris treaty

Montreal Protocol

Environmental treaty that was designed to protect earth’s stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. treaty was very successful and has placed the ozone layer back on the path of recovery

Nitrogen-fixation

process that converts nitrogen into bioavailable forms like ammonia or nitrates that plants/ living organisms can use

Respiration vs Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis stores solar energy as chemical bonds in sugar while respiration releases that stored energy to power life functions.

Ten percent rule

When energy is passed from one trophic level to the next only about 10% of the energy is transferred. The other 60 is used in everyday activities such as moving, hunting, growing, etc.