Dynamic Equilibrium

A constant change in the ecosystem to which animals can adjust.

Bioshpere

The part of the Earth that has life

Biotic

 The living part of the ecosystem

Abiotic

The non-living part of the ecosystem

population

community

ecosystem 

A group of the same species living together

different populations of species living together

the living and non living parts together as a whole

Biodiversity

The total number of species in an ecosystem

Food chain

a sequence linking organisms that feed on each other 

Producer

Consumer

A producer is an is an organism that produces it's own food

A consumer is an organism that eats producers and or other consumers to survive

Indicator species

An indicator species is an organism that is sensitive to changes in the environment and is therefore used to monitor changes in an ecosystem 

detritus

decomposer

detritus is waste  from plants

a decomposer is an organism that eats detritus

Habitat

a place where an qqan organism lives because it has suitable coniditions 

Ultraviolet radiation 

ozone

ultraviolet radiation is radiation from the sun that burns skin

ozone is a layer around the earth that protects it and screens out some of the radiation

Three of the structural zones and components of the biosphere

atmosphere- air part of the earth

lithosphere- rock part or solid part of the biosphere

hydrosphere- water part of the biosphere

Trophic level

autotroph

A trophic level describes how organisms get their energy

an autotroph is a producer and it is the first trophic level 

Primary consumer

secondary consumer

heterotroph

a primary consumer relies on the autotroph, second trophic level

secondary consumer relies on primary consumer, third trophic level

heterotroph is an organism incapable of making its own food

Photosynthesis

cellular respiration 

chemosynthesis

chemoautotroph

photosynthesis is the process of turning the Suns energy into glucose

cellular respiration is how all organisms break down glucose and release energy

Organisms convert simple molecules into complex ones without the Suns energy

a chemoautotroph is a producer that doesn't need the Suns energy to produce energy

What at are the two laws of thermodynamics?

energy can be transformed from one form to another 

cannot be created or destroyed

during any energy transfer energy is lost

Which of the three pyramids is most effective at showing energy transfer in the food chain? Explain

The pyramid of energy because it measures the amount of Energy available at each energy level so you ca. Calculate how much energy animals at each tropic level can receive 

Why are frogs good indicator species? 

They live in two different ecosystems so you can use one animal to monitor two different ecosystems. Also frogs are sensitive to changes in the environment so by monitoring their population you can see what changes are happening to the ecosystem. 

Why might the pyramid of numbers and biomass of the same ecosystem be different shapes? 

They may be different shapes because biomass measures the dry mass of species in an ecosystem however pyramid of numbers is drawn by counting animals. Or plant species.