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AP Biology
Chapter 47
33
Biology
12th Grade
05/03/2011

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Term
primary producers
Definition
typically convert energy from the sun to chemical bond energy and use it to synthesize organic compounds from simple materials
Term
consumers
Definition
all organisms in an ecosystem besides primary producers
Term
detritivores
Definition
eat particles of decomposing organic matter
Term
decomposers
Definition
break down organic remains and wastes of all organisms
Term
ecosystem
Definition
an array of of organisms and their physical environment, all interacting through a one-way flow of energy and cycling of the materials required to sustain life
Term
trophic levels
Definition
all organisms at a given trophic level are the same number of transfer steps away fro the energy input into an ecosystem- its a hierarchy of feeding relationships
Term
food chain
Definition
straight-line sequence of steps by which energy originally stored in autotroph tissues moves to higher trophic levels
Term
food webs
Definition
a number of food chains cross-connect with one another
Term
grazing food web
Definition
energy flows mostly into herbivores, carnivores, then decomposers
Term
detrital food web
Definition
energy from producers flows mainly into detritivores and decomposers
Term
biological magnification
Definition
a substance that degrades slowly or not at all becomes ever more concentrated in tissues of organisms at higher trophic levels of a food web
Term
primary productivity
Definition
the rate at which producers capture and store energy in their tissues during a given interval
Term
net ecosystem production
Definition
the gross primary production minus the energy used by the producers and soil detritivores and decomposers
Term
biomass pyramid
Definition
depicts the dry weight of all of an ecosystem's organisms at each tier
Term
energy pyramid
Definition
illustrates how the amount of usable energy diminishes as it is transferred through an ecosytem
Term
biogeochemical cycle
Definition
an essential element moves from the environment, through ecosystems, then back to the environment
Term
nutrients
Definition
a nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment
Term
hydrologic cycle
Definition
water moves from the ocean to the atmosphere, land, and back
Term
watershed
Definition
any region where precipitation flows into a single stream or river
Term
salinization
Definition
a build-up of salt in soil that stunts crop plats and decreases yields
Term
groundwater
Definition
soil and aquifers hold groundwater-water that sits in the ground
Term
desalinization
Definition
removal of salt from water or seawater
Term
carbon cycle
Definition
carbon moves through the lower atmosphere and all food webs on its way to and from its large reservoirs
Term
greenhouse effect
Definition
as heat builds up in the lower atmosphere, the air temperature near Earth's surface rises
Term
global warming
Definition
a long-term increase in temperature near Earth's surface
Term
nitrogen cycle
Definition
gaseous nitrogen (N2) travels in an atmospheric cycle
Term
nitrogen fixation
Definition
is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH3)
Term
ammonification
Definition
where bacteria and fungi break down nitrogenous materials, and ammonium forms
Term
nitrification
Definition
is the biological oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates
Term
denitrification
Definition
is a microbially facilitated process of nitrate reduction that may ultimately produce molecular nitrogen (N2) through a series of intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide products
Term
ion exchange
Definition
ions dissociate from soil particles, and then other ions in soil water replace them
Term
phosphorous cycle
Definition
phosphorous passes quickly through the food webs as it moves from land to ocean sediments, then slowly back to dry land
Term
eutrophication
Definition
refers to the nutrient enrichment of any ecosystem that is otherwise low in nutrients- it is a process of natural selection- phosphorous inputs as fro agriculture can accelerate it
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