Studied by 15 peopleEcosystem
Community of living organisms interacting with non-living components
Organisms
A living thing that can function on its own
Species
Organisms that resemble each other
Population
Same species occupying a specific area.
Community
Population of different species.
Symbiosis
Any type of close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms of the same or different species
Amensalism
One species suffers, other is not affeced
Commensalism
One species benefits, and the other isn’t.
Competition
Rivalry of species over same resources
Mutualism
Both species benefit
Parasitism
One species benefits and the other is harmed
Predation
Predator kills and eat their prey
Saprottrophism
Organism that feeds on nonliving organic matter.
Morphological partitioning
Two species shares same resources; evolved slightly different structures
Spatial partitioning
Species use same resource occupying different areas.
Temporal partitioning
Two species eliminate direct competition; utilizing same resource at diffrent times
Deserts
An area that receives no more than 25 centimeters of rainfall a year
Forests
Area with large number of trees
Tropical Rainforests
Occurs in tropical areas of heavy rainfalls.
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Occurs in association of seasonally wet and dry or monsoon climates
Temperate Coniferous Forests
Occurs in low levels of precipitation
Grasslands
Lands dominated by grasses.
Southern Taiga
Also known as boreal forest
Northern Taiga
Approaches tree line and tundra biome
Grasslands
Lands dominated by grasses
Savannas
A grassy plain with scattered individual trees
Arctic tundra
Circles North Pole extending South to the Taiga; cold, dry, desert-like.
Alpine tundra
Located in mountains where trees cannot grow
Antarctic
Cold, remote area in the Southern Hemisphere
Photic Zone
Uppermost layer of water.
Neretic Zone (Sublittoral)
Extends to the edge of continental shelf.
Littoral Zone (Intertidal)
Closest to the shore.
Corals
Marine invertebrates that typically live in compact colonies
Fringing Reefs
Grow near the coastline.
Barrier Reefs
Similar to the coastline but separated by deeper lagoons
Attols
Rings of coral that create protected lagoons; found in the middle of the sea
Lakes
Formed where precipitation or runoffs fills depressions in Earths surface
Benthic Zone
Bottom of the Lake
Limnetic Zone
Well lit, open surface water
Littoral Zone
Close to the shore that extends to depth penetrated by sunlight.
Profundal Zone
No light regions
Oligotrophic
Young Lake; deep cold; nutrient poor
Mesotrophic
Middle-Aged Lake; moderate nutrient content.
Eutrophic
Old lake; shallow, warm, large surface area
Source Zones
Headwater streams; often begins as springs or snowmelt
Transition Zone
Slower, warmer, wider, and lower-elevation moving streams
Floodplain Zone
Result of large amounts of sediment and nutrients
Riparian Areas
Lands adjacent to creeks, lakes, rivers, and streams that support vegetation
Law of Tolerance
It states that the existence, abundance, and distribution of species depend on the tolerance level of each species to both physical and chemical factors
Limiting Factor
Any abiotic factor that limits or prevents the growth of a population
Carbon Cycle
The process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
A process through which nitrogen is converted into many forms, consecutively passing from the atmosphere to the soil to organism and back into the atmosphere
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorous Cycle
A cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
Phosphorous Cycle
Hydrologic Cycle
It involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-Atmosphere.
Hydrologic Cycle
Aquifer
Contains water in quantities sufficient to support a well or spring
Recharge zone
The surface area above an aquifer that supplies water to the aquifer
Unsaturated zone
The zone immediately below the land surface
Water table
The level below which the ground is saturated with water
Biomass pyramid
It shows how much organic mass is within each trophic level
Energy Pyramids
These show the proportion of energy passed from one trophic level to the next-level consumers in an ecosystem
Photosynthesis
Cellular respiration
Gross primary production (GPP)
The rate at which plants capture and fix a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time.
Net primary production Formula
Net primary production (NPP)
The remaining fixed energy is the rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy
Biodiversity
Variability among species, between species, and of ecosystems
Genetic diversity
Range of all genetic traits
Species diversity
Number of different species in a specific area
Ecosystem diversity
Range of habitats in specific area
Generalists
Live in different types of environments and have varied diets.
Specialists
Require unique resources and have limited diets
Pioneer
Earlier successional plants; generalists.
Keystone
Their presence contributes to the diversity of life; their extinction could lead to the extinction of other life forms
Indicator
Their presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition
Supporting Benefits
Provides more aid to the ecosystem.
Regulating Benefits
Provided that help moderate natural phenomena
Provisioning Benefits
Provides diversity of products.
Cultural Benefits
Supports recreational services.
Island Biogeography
It examines the factors that affect the richness and diversity of species living in these isolated natural communities
Island
A suitable habitat for a specific ecosystem that is surrounded by a large area of unsuitable habitat
Theory of Island Biogeography
It proposes that the number of species found on an "island" is determined by immigration and extinction of isolated populations
Physiological Adaptation
Methods of temperature control or how food are digested.
Behavioral Adaptation
Instincts, mating behavior, vocalizations.
Structural Adaptation
Physical features.
Short Term Adaptations
Develops from environments temporary changes
Long-term Adaptations
Develops over long periods of time in response to natural selection
Facilitation
Species modifies the environment, meeting the needs of others
Inhibition
Species modifies the environment, not suitable for the environment
Tolerance
Species are not affected by the presence of others
Primary Succession
Species first colonize a lifeless habitat.
Secondary Succession
Species recolonize a destroyed habitat
Episodic Process
Occurring occasionally and at irregular intervals
Periodic Process
Occurring at repeated intervals
Random Process
Lacking a regular pattern.
Generalists
Able to use a variety of environmental resources
Specialists
Use specific set of resources
Note 
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