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AP Ecosystems
Student Made Flashcards On Chapter 54: Ecosystems
36
Biology
12th Grade
10/08/2012

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Term
ecosystem
Definition
all organisms in a given area as well as abiotic factors with which they interact; a community and its physical environment
Term
1st law of thermodynamics
Definition
energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed
Term
2nd law of thermodynamics
Definition
every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe
Term
Primary Producers
Definition
The initial start of the food chain, fed upon by primary consumers
Term
Primary Consumers
Definition
Feed off of the producers in the food chain. They are fed upon by secondary consumers.
Term
Secondary Consumers
Definition
Feed off of the primary consumers. They are eaten by the tertiary consumers in the food chain
Term
Tertiary Consumers
Definition
Top of the food chain. Feed on the secondary consumers
Term
Detritus
Definition
dead organic matter
Term
detritivore
Definition
a consumer that derives its energy from nonliving organic material ; decomposer 
Term
primary producer
Definition
autotroph, usually a photosynthetic organism. Collectively make up trophic level of ecosystem that supports all other levels
Term

Gross Primary Production

(GPP)

Definition
Total primary production of an ecosystem
Term
Limiting Nutrient
Definition
Element that must be added for production to increase in a particular area
Term

Net Primary Production

(NPP)

Definition
GPP of an ecosystem the energy used by the producers for respiration
Term
Eutrophication
Definition
A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae. Cultural Eutrophication refers to situations where the nutrients added to the water body originate mainly from human sources,. such as agricultural drainage or sewage.
Term
Secondary Production
Definition
The amount of chemical energy in consumers' food that is converted to their own new biomass during a given time period.
Term
Production Efficiency
Definition
The fraction of energy stored in food that is not used for respiration.
Term
The Green world hypothesis proposes the following factors keep herbivores in check:
Definition

a. Plants have defenses against herbivores

b. Nutrients, not energy supply, usually limit herbivores

c. Abiotic factors limit herbivores

d.Intraspecific competition can limit herbivore numbers

e. Interspecific interactions keep herbivore densities in check

Term
pyramids of production
Definition
Term
trophic efficiency
Definition
the transfer of energy through trophic levels, the trophic level is the same as the food chain
Term
pyramids of biomass
Definition
a diagrammatic representation of the amount of organic material, measured in grams of dry mass per square meter
Term
pyramid of numbers
Definition
a graphical representation of the numbers of individuals in each population in a food chain
Term
Biogeochemical Cycle
Definition
the flow of chemical element and compounds between living organisms and physical environment
Term
Water Cycle
Definition
the journey water takes as it circulates from land to the sky and back again
Term
Carbon Cycle
Definition
the circulation of carbon atoms in the biosphere as a result of photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide into complex organic compounds by plants, which are consumed by other organisms
Term
Nitrogen Cycle
Definition
nitrates from the soil are absorbed by plants which are eaten by animals that die and decay returning the nitrogen back to the soil
Term
Nitrogen Fixation
Definition
assilmilation of atmospheric nitrogen by certain prokaryotes into nitrogenous cpds. that can be directly used by plants
Term
Carbon fixation
Definition
the incorporation of carbon into organic cpds. by an autotrophic organism
Term
nitrification
Definition
oxidizing oxygen and ammonia into nitrates, which is often done by bacteria
Term
Dentrification
Definition
Under anaerobic conditions, bacteria use NO3- in their metabolism instead of oxygen, releasing nitrogen
Term
Phosphorus Cycle
Definition
Descrives the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biodsphere
Term
Phosphate
Definition
Chemical element added to soil after weathering of rocks, taken up by producers, and distributed through the food web
Term
Green World Hypothesis
Definition
The conjecture that terrestrial herbivores consume relatively little plant biomass because they are held in check by a variety of facors, inlcuding predators, parasites, and disease
Term
Nitrogen Critical Load
Definition
the amount of added nitrogen that cdan be absorbed by plants without damaging ecosystem integrity
Term
Cultural eutrophication
Definition
when sewage and factory wastes, runoff of animal waste from pastures and stockyards, and the leaching of fertilizer from agricultural, recreational, and urban areas overload streams, rivers, and lakes with inorganic nutrients
Term
Biological magnification
Definition
A trophic process in which retained substances become more concetrated with each link in the food chain
Term
Greenhouse Effect
Definition
The warming of planet Earth due to atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide
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