Ecology Flashcards

Flashcards on Ecology

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Ecosystems operate as __ systems, constantly exchanging energy and matter with their surroundings.

Matter

Unlike energy, __ is recycled within ecosystems

Producers c

__ capture sunlight as the primary energy source for ecosystems through photosynthesis.

Biogeochemical

Elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus circulate through __ cycles in ecosystems.

Energy, matter

Altered and flows lead to ecological imbalances, threatening sustainability.

first law

In ecosystems, energy can be transformed but not created or , destroyed

First

The __ Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can be transformed but not created or destroyed.

Second Law

The __ of Thermodynamics explains why energy transformations in ecosystems are inherently inefficient.

Second

The __ Law of Thermodynamics states that energy becomes less useful as it moves through an ecosystem, with much being lost as heat.

energy

In energy pyramids, __ decreases at each trophic level due to inefficiencies in energy transfer.

energy

Transformation of __ involves changes from one form to another, such as light into heat, and matter happens in chemical reactions, such as light into glucose.

chlorophyll

In photosynthesis, __ traps sunlight, using the energy to split water molecules and combine hydrogen with carbon dioxide to produce glucose.

primary

Photosynthesis is the __ means by which solar energy enters the ecosystem, fueling all life processes

chemical

Cellular respiration releases stored __ energy for cellular activities and occurs in the mitochondria of cells.

glucose

During cellular respiration, __ is broken down to release energy, some of which is transformed into heat due to the process not being 100% efficient.

carbon

Consumers gain chemical energy from __ (organic) compounds obtained from other organisms.

organic

In a food chain, __ matter flows from primary producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers, and so on.

trophic

Each __ level signifies a stage in the transfer of energy and nutrients throughout the ecosystem.

Producers

__ are also known as autotrophs, form the first trophic level in a food chain and are the primary source of energy and organic matter for all living organisms

flow

Consumers transferring energy and nutrients from one trophic level to another, play a critical role in the __ of energy through ecosystems.

herbivores

__ are consumers that feed primarily on plants and other photosynthetic organisms

Detritivores

__ are consumers that feed on dead organic matter, particularly plant detritus.

Predators

__ are consumers that hunt, capture, and kill other animals for food

Parasites

__ are consumers that live on or inside a host organism, deriving nutrients at the host's expense

Saprotrophs

__ feed on decaying organic matter by secreting digestive enzymes and absorbing the resulting nutrients.

Scavengers

__ consume carrion and decomposing organic matter, playing a vital role in cleaning the environment and recycling nutrients.

Decomposers

__ support plant growth and ecosystem health by breaking down dead organic matter and facilitating the flow of energy and matter from dead organic material to other organisms.

energy, nutrients

Food chains illustrate the sequential transfer of and among organisms within an ecosystem.

trophic

Food webs offer a detailed depiction of __ relationships within ecological communities

Trophic

__ efficiency is the percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next.

consumption, Digestion, Heat

Energy transfer between trophic levels is not 100% efficient because of -Incomplete __:Inefficient __ conversion and storage:-__ Loss:

Productivity

__ in an ecosystem refers to the pace at which new biomass is generated within a given timeframe.

Productivity

__ represents the amount of usable energy available for crucial life processes, such as growth, originating from the initial energy input at a particular trophic level

Net

Amount of biomass remaining after accounting for losses due to cellular respiration is known as __ Productivity

Gross

Total gain in biomass by an organism or trophic level over a specific period is known as __ Productivity

Ecological Pyramids

_includes numbers, biomass, or energy which are visual representation of relative amounts of parameters across trophic levels.

Pyramid of Numbers

__ is the number of individual organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Pyramid of Biomass

__ represent the total dry mass of all organisms at each trophic level at a specific time

Pyramid of Energy (Productivity)

__ represent the amount of energy flowing to each trophic level per unit area and per unit time. Measured in kilojoules per square meter per year

Non-Biodegradable pollutants

__ are substances that do not break down naturally in the environment and resist decomposition by natural processes and cause significant ecological harm through the processes of bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

Bioaccumulation

__ is the gradual build-up of non-biodegradable pollutants in an organism or trophic level over time

Biomagnification

__ is the process of non-biodegradable pollutants accumulating in organisms over time leading to higher concentrations in the predator's body.

materials

Plastics are __ that can be shaped when soft and retain that shape when hardened and are polymers.

MicroPlastics

__ are tiny plastic fragments or particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter

fossil fuels

Burning __ releases CO2 into the atmosphere and causes global warming as well as air pollution

Deforestation

__involves removing trees from a wide area of land

Urbanization

__is the movement of people from rural to urban areas and the associated activities of building human settlements.

Agriculture

__involves growing crops for food, clothes, among others. This usually involves clearing land to grow crops

Autotrophs

__synthesize their own carbon compounds from inorganic sources of carbon and other elements and utilize energy from the environment to convert these inorganic materials into organic molecules

Heterotrophs

__obtain organic carbon by consuming other organisms or organic matter

Photoautotrophs

are organisms that use light as an external energy source to drive the process of photosynthesis

Chemoautotrophs

___are organisms that use exothermic inorganic chemical reactions as an external energy source to drive the process of chemosynthesis

Primary Productivity

__refers to the rate at which primary producers, such as plants, algae, and some bacteria, convert inorganic carbon (CO₂) and other elements into organic compounds using an external energy source.

GPP

Gross primary productivity, or __, is the rate at which solar energy is captured in sugar molecules during photosynthesis (energy captured per unit area per unit time).

Net primary productivity (NPP)

__ is the amount of biomass remaining after energy losses due to cellular respiration in primary producers. Understanding NPP is crucial for comprehending energy flow, ecosystem dynamics, and sustainable resource management.

Secondary Productivity

__ is the rate at which consumers convert the chemical energy in their food into their own new biomass

biomass assimilated

Gross secondary productivity (GSP) in animals equals the amount__ or biomass eaten less feces.

biomass

Net secondary productivity (NSP) is the rate at which consumers produce __or energy per unit area per unit time remaining after accounting for respiratory losses​

Maximum Sustainable Yield

___ (MSY): the largest yield (catch or harvest) that can be taken from a species' stock over an indefinite period under constant environmental conditions.

lower

Consuming organisms at __ trophic levels (e.g., plants) is more energy-efficient because less energy is lost in the process

Ecological

__Efficiency refers to the ratio of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next relative to the energy received by the lower trophic level (percentage, energy received and transferred).

Second

The __ Law of Thermodynamics states that in any energy transfer or transformation, the total entropy of a system and its surroundings always increases