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Ecosystem

A particular location on Earth distinguished by its mix of biotic and abiotic factors.

Macro Ecosystem

A large-scale ecosystem that is harder to define fixed boundaries for, such as the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Micro Ecosystem

A small-scale ecosystem, such as a divet in a tree holding water.

Biogeochemical Cycles

The recycling of elements through abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem.

Deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests by humans that disrupts ecosystems.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy captured by producers minus the energy respired by producers.

Trophic Levels

Successive levels of organisms consuming each other in a food chain.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food, such as plants and algae.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

Ecological Efficiency (Rule of 10%)

The average energy transfer between trophic levels, where only about 10% of energy is passed on.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert solar energy into chemical energy.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which organisms convert glucose and oxygen into energy, water, and carbon dioxide.

Decomposers

Fungi and bacteria that complete the breakdown process by recycling nutrients and organic matter.

Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

The movement of water through the biosphere, involving processes like evaporation and precipitation.

Carbon Cycle

The cycle that involves the incorporation and recycling of carbon among organisms and the environment.

Nitrogen Cycle

The process that converts nitrogen gas into usable forms for plants, involving key processes like nitrogen fixation and denitrification.

Phosphorus Cycle

The slow cycle through which phosphorus is cycled through rocks, soils, and organisms.

Eutrophication

The process where nutrient runoff leads to excessive growth of algae in water bodies, causing hypoxia.

Hypoxia

Low oxygen conditions in water bodies, often caused by decomposition of algal blooms.