Term
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Definition
| study of how organisms interact with one another and with their non-living environment(connections in nature) |
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Term
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Definition
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Definition
| basic unit of life in all organisms |
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Definition
| organism with cells, surrounded by a membrane, that have membrane-bounded distinct nuclei with DNA inside and contains organelles |
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Definition
| organisms with cells without membrane-bounded distinct nuclei or other internal parts, but with an outer cellular membrane, DNA is scattered throughout the cell |
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Definition
| groups of organisms that resemble on eanother in appearance, behavior, chemistry, and genetic make-up |
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Term
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Definition
| a process of converting simple compounds into more complex nutrient compounds w/out sunlight |
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Term
| Describe 4 ways insects are helpful |
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Definition
| pollinate plants/contribute to the plant reproduction,decompose organic material, till/turn soil,biodiversity |
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Term
| What is asexual reproduction? What organisms is it common amongst? |
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Definition
| common in species with one cell(bacteria), one cell divides to produce two identical cells that are replicas of original cell |
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Term
| What is sexual reproduction? |
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Definition
Sex cells or gametes(such as ovum and sperm) of both parents combine so that the offspring has genetic info(traits) from each parent. |
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Term
| If we didn't use pesticides, __ of our food supply would be gone. |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe three ways insects are harful |
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Definition
| Carry deseases, eat/destroy crops, destroy wood(termites) |
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Term
| Gaia hypothesis suggests that |
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Definition
| What makes Earth strong is it's biodiversity |
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Term
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Definition
| set of chemical reactions that occur in an organism, transforming energy ans matter into growth, reproduction, and survival |
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Term
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Definition
| the maintanance of internal temperature despite small flunctuations outside of the body |
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Term
| Another name for asexual reproduction |
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Definition
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Term
| By what process are gametes produced? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which type of reproduction produces more diverse offspring? |
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Definition
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Term
| adaptation, what are two types? |
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Definition
| adapting to changes in the environment by mutations(changes in DNA)/ evolution and natural selection |
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Term
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Definition
| process by which rare, beneficial mutations occur randomely(by mistake) in the organisms' DNA, enhancing its chance of survival |
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Term
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Definition
| change in organsims through time, compilation of beneficial mutations |
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Term
| Atmosphere, what are the four levels |
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Definition
| thin layer of air around Earth/troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere |
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Term
| What is the coldest atmospheric layer |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the layer of the atmosphere where most ozone(chemical symbol?) is found? |
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Definition
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Term
| What's the innermost layer of the atmosphere, characterize it |
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Definition
| troposphere/contains most air(17km high), 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen,weather changes occur here |
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Term
| What's so special about thermosphere? |
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Definition
| nitrogen and oxygen absorb solar radiation |
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Term
| ionospehere is the lower portion of what layer of the atmosphere? Describe how the convenience this layer provides the our society. |
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Definition
| thermosphere, ions and free electrons reflect radio waves back to earth |
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Term
| Exosphere is the upper portion of which layer of the atmosphere? How does it connect to real life? |
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Definition
| thermosphere, sattelites & space shuttles are found here |
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Term
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Definition
| Earth's water: liquid water, ice, and water vapor |
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Term
| What is lithosphere?Why is it valuable? What does it mean? |
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Definition
| crust amd upper, solid portion of mantle that/ contains fossil fuels, minerals, and soil chemicals/it means dirt in Greek |
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Term
| What's a biosphere(sinonym?)? What layers does it consist of? |
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Definition
| The area between the highest point you can find life at and the lowest point life exists at where living organisms live and interact with non-living environment/Most of hydrosphere, lower atmosphere and upper lithosphere |
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Term
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Definition
| Allows photosynthesis, warms the planet and drives climate, powers the cycling of matter |
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Term
| What process is the source of electromagnetic radiation? |
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Definition
| Nuclear fusion, hydrogen isotopes fuse with helium isotopes under great pressure and heat |
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Term
| Sun provides _______flow of usable energy. Why? |
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Definition
| One-way, because it flows from high quality energy to low quality energy since some of it changes to low-quality waste heat when used. |
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Term
| About how much in fraction of sunlight is reflected back to space? |
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Definition
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Term
| How much of the solar energy is used and converted into heat(infrared light)? What happens to that heat? |
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Definition
2/3
It's trapped by water vapor, CO2, ozone, nitrus oxide, methane, etc., keeping us warm |
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Term
| How much of the solar radiation do green plants capture for the performance of photosynthesis? |
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Definition
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Term
| albedo, give two opposite examples |
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Definition
| the ability of surfaces to absorb sunlight/polar caps and paved roads |
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Term
| QWhat;s the #1 greenhouse gas that humans create? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the requirements of an organism to belong to certain specie? |
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Definition
| resemblence to other organisms of the same specie, ability to interbreed in nature and produce fertile offspring |
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Term
| population and characteristics of populations |
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Definition
| members of the same species occuptying a given area at the same time/age distribution exists |
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Term
| How are populations dynamic?What does it mean? |
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Definition
| Population changes in size, age distribution, density when environmental changes occur./changing |
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Term
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Definition
| place where a population or an individual organism lives |
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Term
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Definition
| Populations of different species living and interacting in a given place |
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Term
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Definition
| community of different species interacting with one another and with their non-living environment |
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Term
| Ecosystem's size is _________.It doesn't affect itt's sustainability. What does? |
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Definition
Arbitrary(doesn't matter)
conent of energy and nutrients needed to support its organisms and to dispose of and recycle wastes |
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Term
| Ecosphere includes all of the Earth's__________ |
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Definition
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Term
| Ecotone, explain edge effect |
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Definition
| Transition between 2 bordering zones, high biodiversity/ the closer you get to the border of a zone, tyhe greater the biodiversity |
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Term
| Biodiversity emerges from |
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Definition
| natural selection, evolution, and extinction |
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Term
| how does biodiversity arise from extinction? |
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Definition
| extinction of certain organisms allows other organisms to flourish |
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Term
| biome, what is its equivalent |
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Definition
| Large land region characterized by distinct climate and specific life-forms/aquatic life zones |
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Term
| list the organism organizations in order from smallest to largest |
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Definition
| organism-population-community-ecosystem-biome-biosphere |
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Term
| biodiversity is composed of |
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Definition
| genetic diversity, species diversity, ecological diversity(different types of ecosystems0 |
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Term
| abiotic factors are ________factors of an ecosystem,for ex.________ while biotic factors are _________ factors of an ecosystem, for ex.________ |
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Definition
| non-living,sunlight, altitude, temperature/ living,organisms |
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Term
| What are some of the physical factors in land ecosystems? |
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Definition
| sunlight, temperature, wind, precipitation, latitude, altitude, fir, soil |
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Term
| what are some of the chemical factors of terrestrial ecosystems? |
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Definition
| aeration of soil, nutrients, toxic substances in soil, water |
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Term
| what are some physical factors in aquatic ecosystems? |
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Definition
| water currents, amount of suspended soild material(dirt, sand, pollutants, waste) sunlight, temperature) |
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Term
| What are some of the chemical factors of the aquatic ecosystems? |
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Definition
| nutrients or toxic substances dissolved in water, salinity, dissolved oxygen=DO |
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Term
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Definition
| maximum and minimum limits for physical conditions(temp.,sunlight)or concentrations of chemical substamnces at which an organism can survuve |
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Term
| Organisms of_______ecosystems have short, narrow range of tolerance. Describe an example that supports your answer. |
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Definition
| aquatic/aquatic organisms cannot withstand wide temperature changes |
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Term
| what does thriving population mean? |
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Definition
| population has all the nutrients it needs |
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Term
| Limiting factor/examples(lake,desert,tropical rainforest) |
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Definition
| Something in the ecosystem that is more important for the survival of organisms, it can limit population size/DO, water, sunlight |
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Term
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Definition
| Producers, make their own food through either photosynthesis or chemosynthesis |
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Term
| photosynthesis/responsible organisms |
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Definition
| Process by which producers tajke in sunlight and CO2 to make sugars(glucoze) and oxygen/plants, phytoplankton,algae |
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Term
| chemosynthesis/responsible organisms |
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Definition
| proces by which producers convert simple compounds(Carbon or sulfur compounds) into nutrients without sunlight/specialized bacteria |
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Term
| heterotrophs/responsible organisms |
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Definition
| consumers, gain nutrients by feeding on other organisms or the remains/humans, bacteria and fungi, vultures... |
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Term
| Describe the 4 main levels of a food chain in order: |
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Definition
| producers(autotrophs) <- primary consumers(herbivores)feed on producers directly <- Secondary consumers(carnivores)Feed on herbivores <- tertiary consumers(feed only on other carnivores) |
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Term
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Definition
| feed on plants and animals/humans |
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Term
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Definition
| Scavengers, feed on dead or decaying organisms/detritus feeders & decomposers |
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Term
| Detritus feeders/examples |
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Definition
| organisms that live off parts of dead organisms and thrown off parts and wastes from living organisms/ants, termites, vultures |
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Term
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Definition
| Organisms that complete final break-down and recycling of organic materials from remains and wastes of all organisms, gainin gnutrients and releasing simpler inorganic substances into soil and water/bacteria and fungi |
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Term
| What's aerobic respiration?Do humans undergo this, if not what organisms do? |
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Definition
| cellular process in which O2 is used to convert organic nutrients (Glucoze) into CO2 and H2O, energy is released |
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Term
| What is anaerobic respiration/fermentation? Do humans undergo this,if not, what organisms do? |
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Definition
| Cellular process performed in the absence of O2. Organic compounds, including glucose, are broken down for energy, producing methane, alcohol, aceic acid, hydrogen sulfide, etc. /No, some decomposers |
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Term
| Food chain/what does it show |
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Definition
| sequence of organisms , ecah bein gthe the source of food for next one/how energy and nutrients flow through the ecosystem |
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Term
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Definition
| feeding level of an organism, decided by what it eats or decomposes |
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Term
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Definition
1st:producer
2nd: primary consumer
3rd:secondary consumer
additional levels possible |
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Term
| what's the trophic level of detritivores? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| complex system of interconnected food chains |
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Term
| grazing food web, where is it common |
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Definition
| starts out with producers,and then, herbivores, carnivores, decomposers, common in deep oceans |
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Term
| detrital food web, where is it common |
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Definition
| starts out on detritus -> decomposers , then producers, herbivores, carnivoresm, detrivores; common in forests, streams, marshes... |
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Term
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Definition
| combined DRY weight(nutritious matter, not water) of all organic matter in a particular trophic level, measured in Kcal |
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Term
| ______ of energy is lost to the environment in form of heat every time biomass is transferred from one trophic level to the next, ____ of energy is transferred |
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Definition
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Term
| Describe the reson for the shape(what is it?) of the pyramid of energy flow |
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Definition
| upright pyramid,Degradation of energy at each level, usually, less number of organisms at each level |
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Term
| why are there a limited number of trophic levels in food chains and webs? |
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Definition
| because so much energy is lost every trophic level, that it won't be enough to support organisms that come at higher trophic level |
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Term
| What is the shape of the pyramids of biomass determined by? It is usually _______. |
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Definition
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Term
| Pyramids of numbers demonstrates... |
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Definition
| Number of organisms at each level, the ratios vary |
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Term
| Gross Primary Productivity |
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Definition
| Rate at which producers use sunlight to make more bimass through photosynthesis |
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Term
| Net Primary Prtoductivity |
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Definition
| Available food for consumers, which is left after plants use some of the biomass they have produced for energy through aerobic respiration |
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Term
| What types of ecosystems have the highest NPP productivity? |
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Definition
| marshes, swamps, and extuaries |
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Term
| What are the 5 factors affecting producers making food(primary productivity)? |
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Definition
| amount of sunlight(depth), rainfall, soil nutrients, temperature(season) |
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Term
| Men can increase NPP by_______ and decrease it by ________ |
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Definition
| fertilizer & water/ cutting down forest |
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Term
| Humans now use, waste, detroy about _% of erath's potential NPP |
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Definition
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Term
| Net primary productivity is measured in what units |
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Definition
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Term
| How does IPB(________?) measure NPP on land and over what period? |
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Definition
1. Clip/cut biomass to ground level in 1 m squared
2. collect litter
3. Sort, dry, and weigh the material
4. Figure out the NNP of the patch (1 g = 4.25 Kcal)
5. Find total area of the ecosystem
6. Multiply total area by NNP of one square meter
12 months |
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Term
| How does IPB(________?) measure NPP in aquatic ecosystems and over what period? |
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Definition
1. Clip/cut biomass in total depth all the way to the bottom in 1 m squared patch, measured from the surface
2. collect litter
3. Sort, dry, and weigh the material
4. Figure out the NNP of the patch (1 g = 4.25 Kcal)
5. Find total area of the ecosystem
6. Multiply total area by NNP of one square meter
12 months |
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Term
| matter, does it remain stationary? |
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Definition
| No, matter cycles through the non-living environment to living organisms and back again and again |
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Term
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Definition
| any atom, ion, or a molecule that an organisms needs to live, grow, and reproduce(carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, water, GLUCOZE) |
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Term
| Three general categories of biogeochemical cycles are: _______,_________,________. Explain. |
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Definition
1. Atmospheric-element spends most of its time in gaseous form
2. Sedimentary-Element spends most of time in solid state in mainly the crust (slow cycle)
3. Hydrologic - water in any phase |
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Term
| Describe closed system on Earth |
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Definition
| Matter is recycled, we don't derive it continuously from a certain source |
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Term
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Definition
| Energy isn't recycled, it's degraded to low energy with each use. However, we get energy from the sun everyday, which is the continuous source of it |
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Term
| Why is water such an important nutrient? |
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Definition
| Without it all other cycles of matter(nutrients) wouldn't exist and current forms of life couldn't exist |
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Term
| How is water cycled through the biosphere? |
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Definition
| water cycle collects, purifies, and distributes a fixed supply of water. |
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Term
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Definition
| conversion of water into water vapor |
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Term
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Definition
| evaporation of water(extracted from soil and brought up the roots and transported throughout the plant) from plant leaves |
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Term
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Definition
| conversion of water vapor to liquid |
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Term
| evaporation works against what natural force? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| watr in form of rain, sleet, hail, snow |
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Term
| infiltration vs. percolation |
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Definition
Infiltration(movement of water into soil: soaking soil)
Percolation- penetration of water into soil, downward flow through permeable rock formations to grounwater storages-aquifers |
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Term
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Definition
| surface movement of water down the slope into sea to resume the cycle |
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Term
| the water cycle is powered by ________&_________ |
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Definition
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Term
| the amount of water vapot air can hold depends on_______ |
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Definition
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Term
| absolute humidity vs. relative humidity |
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Definition
| the amount of water vapor found in a certain mass of air(g/kg),percentage of maximum amount water vapor certain mass of air can hold |
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Term
| What's the relationship between condensation nuclei and precipitation? |
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Definition
| Water droplets must collect on the condensation nuclei to fal to earth |
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Term
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Definition
| tiny particles in the atmosphere, such as volcanic ash, dust, sea salts, smoke matter from industry and vehicles |
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Term
| Dew point is the temperature at which________ occurs |
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Definition
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Term
| About how much in percentage of the precipitation falls back to sea, what about the rest? |
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Definition
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Term
| Runoff causes what problem in regards to soil? |
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Definition
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Term
| How do people interfer with the natural water cycle? |
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Definition
1.withdraw large quantities of fresh water from streams, lakes, and underground resources
2.Clear vegetation for activities such as agriculture, mining, construction
3. Polluting water indirectly through fertilizers(phosphate)in reult changing the processes that naturally purify water |
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Term
| Nitrogen is ________ in its atmospheric form. |
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Definition
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Term
| Key process of nitrogen cycle |
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Definition
| conversion of atmospheric nitrogen(N2) into forms that can be usable by living organisms |
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Term
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Definition
| Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and ammonium ion by Cyannobacteria in water and Rhizobium bacteria(live on root bumps of plants like peanuts, clover,soybeans,& alfalfa) in the soil. |
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Term
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Definition
| Conversion of ammonium ion in the soil into nitrites and than nitrates, which is the form potentially usable by plants, by aerobic bacteria |
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Term
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Definition
| the dissolving of remainders of ammonia into ammonium ion by decomposer bacteria |
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Term
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Definition
| conversion of ammonia and the ammonium ions back to nitrate and nitrite ions, then to atmospheric nitrogen and finally, nitrous oxide, initiating the cycle once again, by anaerobic bacteria |
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Term
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Definition
| Absorbtion of ammonia, ammonium ions, and titrates by plants to make plant parts |
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Term
| CO2 is used by plants to make _______ through process of ___________ |
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Definition
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Term
| How is carbon dioxide released into the environment |
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Definition
| producers' and consumers' respiration(aerobic), burning of fossil fuels,and dissolving of sedimentary rock by acid rain, warming of oceans, decay of shells and skeletons of marine organisms, volcanic eruptions |
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Term
| Increase in CO2 in the atmosphere, will cause increase in Earth's_________ |
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Definition
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Term
| How much of the atmospheredoes CO2 make up? |
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Definition
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Term
| Is the largest concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere? |
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Definition
| No- the ocean and marine sediments, which contain 55 times more CO2 than the atmosphere |
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Term
| The CO2 is contained in the atmosphere for __yrs, in the soil for __yrs, and in the oceans for __yrs. |
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Definition
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Term
| How do humans interfere with the carbon cycle? |
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Definition
| Burning fossil fuels and wood, destroying plant life |
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Term
| How much percentage of the atmosphere is nitrogen? |
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Definition
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Term
| How is nitrogen important to planlife? |
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Definition
| it's often a factor in limiting plant growth:plants absorb it as nutrient: it can dissolve and leach out of soil by rainfall |
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Term
| Humans interfere with the cycle of nitrogen by... |
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Definition
| Burning fossil fuel- emsission of nitric oxide into atmosphere, which leads to formation of acid rain,emitting greenhouse gas of nitrous oxide into atmosphere through fertilizers, mining nitrogen containing mineral deposits, leaching nitrate ions with irrigation,, destroying grasslands and forests, adding nitrogen compounds to aquatic ecosystems in agricultural runoff and discharge of sewage |
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Term
| Which is one of the only elements that doen't cycle in the atmosphere, why? |
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Definition
| phosphorus, because the cycle involves the compuonds of soild state |
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Term
| How is phosphorus released into the environment? |
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Definition
| weathering of rock, decay of dead organisms, and guano(animal excrement) |
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Term
| How do plants obtain phosphorus and how do animals obtain phosphorus? |
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Definition
| Absorbing phosphate ions in soil as nutrient/feeding on producers or animals that have eaten producers |
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Term
| How is phosphorus important to plants? |
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Definition
| it's an absorbed nutrient, limiting factor for plant growth |
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Term
| What biogeochemical cycle is the slowest?why? |
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Definition
| phosphorus cycle, it's in solid state throughout the entire cycle |
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Term
| Inorganic fertilizer features what three common nutrients? |
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Definition
| Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus(PKN) |
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Term
| How do humans influence the phosphourus cycle? |
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Definition
| Mining large quantities of phosphate rock, destroyin gforests and the phosphate ions inside, adding too much phospate to aquatic systems by runoff of fertilizers, animal wastes, sewage. |
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Term
| What two nutrients, present in inorganic fertilizer, can cause algae bloom and reduction of dissolved O2 in aquatic ecosystems? |
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Definition
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Term
| How does sulfur enter the environment? |
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Definition
| volcanic eruptions, anaerobic respiration, sea spray |
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Term
| How does sulfur exist in nature? |
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Definition
| present in underground rocks and minerals, sulfate salts deep in the ocean |
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Term
| How does phosphare exist in nature? |
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Definition
| salt-containing phosphate ions in rock formations on land |
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Term
| What nutrients combine with water droplets in the atmosphere to form acid deposition |
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Definition
| sulfur(SO-Sulfur oxides), nitrogen(NO nitrogen oxides) |
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Term
| How do humans contribute to the level of sulfur in the atmosphere? |
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Definition
| Burning sulfur-containing coal and oil for electricity, smelting sulfur compuds of metallic, purifying petroleum |
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