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Definition
Carbon part of the soil’s organic matter which also includes Ca, N, and other important elements
Soil's organic matter provides nutrients, binds particles together, and enhances water retention |
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| Describes the average time a molecule will spend in a specific reservoir within a biogeochemical cycle |
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Carbon dioxide (five years) and methane (ten years)
Methane is released by wetlands, cows, and termites |
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Definition
Dissolved inorganic carbon used by phytoplankton
Huge carbon sink
Photosynthesis provides 1/2 world's oxygen |
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| Carbon in the lithosphere |
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Definition
Lithosphere has a residence time of millions of years
Stored in limestone and kerogens (fossilized organic material) |
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Describes the natural and synthetic processes that convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into ammonia
Lightning and Legumes |
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Definition
| Growth is controlled by the scarcest resource (limiting factor) not the total amount of resources available |
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| Created green revolution, synthetic nitrogen supports 1/3 population |
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| Harmful Effects of Nitrogen |
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Definition
| Transported down rivers to common location, causes algal blooms |
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Definition
| Hypoxia is low oxygen conditions, dead zone is hypoxic area that can't support life |
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| Phosphorous in lithosphere |
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Definition
| Phosphorite is main source, produces phosphate |
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| P used 46 times terrestrially, and 800 times by marine life, then sinks to bottom and rejoins lithosphere |
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| Crushed rocks combined with sulphuric acid to produce phosphoric acid |
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| Creates an explosive, superphosphorus creates radioactive waste (phosphogympsum) |
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Definition
| Difficult problem to solve because of contradictory goals |
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Definition
Groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups
o “…actually or potentially interbreeding…” means that the offspring of the species need to be able to produce their own offspring
o “…reproductively isolated…” means that even if interbreeding produces fertile offspring, if they live in separate habitats they’re separate species (lions, tigers, and ligers)
o Range or Distribution of species refers to the geographical area where that species can be found |
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Definition
Domesticated animals have had their behavior, life cycle, or physiology altered by being under human control for many generations
Happens through selective breeding |
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Term
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Definition
Soviet scientists picked friendliest foxes to breed (about 1% were picked to breed)
After about 50 generations foxes were very dog-like (friendly, floppy ears, shorter legs and tail, spotted coats, and barking) |
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Definition
| Geographical area where that species can be found |
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| Population/Population Density |
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Definition
Population: All the organisms of the same species who live in the same geographical area
Pop. Density: Number of individuals within a certain area |
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| Environmental Tolerance Diagram |
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Definition
Population density v some limiting factor
Zone of Optimum: Region in the center
Zone of Stress: Towards the sides
Zone of Intolerance: Species can't live in this environment |
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Term
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Definition
Generalist can live in a variety of environments (wide population distribution)
Specialist can live in a limited range of environments (narrow population distribution) |
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| Fundamental v Realized Niche |
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Definition
Fundamental: Complete range of environments without competition or predation
Realized: Accounts for predation and competition (smaller than fundamental) |
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Definition
| A role or function a species inhabits in an ecosystem |
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Definition
Organisms eat a restricted variety of food
Focus on the best food and have limited competition, but may have difficulty finding food |
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Definition
Organisms consume several different organisms
Usually large animals
Not tied to one location, but food might not be nutritious |
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Definition
| Changes in the size and age composition of populations and the biological and environmental processes that influence that change (Wolf Moose graph) |
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| Self Regulating System (Predator/Prey) |
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Definition
| A system that regulates itself, because a change in one thing will trigger a change in another thing to maintain balance (Predator-Prey graph) |
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Definition
When the output of a system acts to oppose the changes to the input of the system
The initial change is counter-acted by the response |
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Definition
| A biological interaction where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey (the organism that is attacked). |
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| Have no predators of their own |
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| Has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance |
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A temporary event that causes a major chance in the structure of an ecosystem
Primarily affects plants |
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| The process where one group of plants and animals is replaced by another |
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| Describes the growth of plants at a location that has never been previously colonized |
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| Pioneer Species characteristics |
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Definition
| High growth rates, small, high dispersal, rapid population growth |
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Definition
| Occurs after plant life on a colonized surface is affected by a disturbance |
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Definition
| When one species interferes directly with others attempting to forage, reproduce or establish themselves within a habitat |
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| Agriculture vs Succession |
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Definition
| Agriculture attempts to prevent succession in fields |
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Term
| Three Proposition About Competition |
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Definition
1. Every organism on the planet needs resources to grow, reproduce and survive
2. Resources are limited
3. Organisms can’t acquire a resource if another organism consumes or successfully defends that resource |
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Definition
| Negative interaction that occurs whenever the fitness of one organism is reduced because of the presence of another |
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| Intraspecific Competition (Interference and Exploitation) |
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Definition
| Competition between members of the same species (Interference=Direct=Stealing/Killing, Exploitation=Indirect=Getting rare resources first) |
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| Interspecific Competition (Interference and Exploitation) |
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Definition
| Competition between different species (Interference=Direct=Stealing/Killing, Exploitation=Indirect=Getting rare resources first) |
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Definition
| Defend an area against members of their own species (exploitation competition) |
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| Population density curves and competition |
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Definition
| Density curves can't overlap, so curves shift to accommodate competition, or one species dies out. |
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| Five Major Domesticated Species |
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Definition
| Pigs, Cows, Horses, Sheep, Goats |
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Term
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Definition
Descended from aurochs (big scary cows with sharp horns)
Domesticated by humans |
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| Production of 1. Wheat 2. Rice 3. Corn |
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Definition
1. China, India, US
2. Asia (China and Indonesia)
3. US (IOWA!) |
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| 4 Main Problems with Agriculture |
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Definition
1. Land intensive (takes up space and clear cutting)
2. Emits greenhouse gas (largest source of greenhouse gas)
3. Water intensive (drains aquifers)
4. Pollutes water(fertilizer leads to excess nutrients) |
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Definition
1. Shift away from meat (will slow deforestation and won't reduce food supply)
2. Stop expanding agriculture's footprint |
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Definition
Wheat, Rice, and Maize (Corn)
All domesticated from other plants to be better (larger, tastier, more nutritious) |
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Definition
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| The soil of most ecosystems contains large numbers of seeds that are usually dormant |
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Definition
| Substance rich in nitrogen and phosphorous |
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Definition
| Abnormal dark green leaves |
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Definition
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| Too much nitrogen, interferes with water retention in plants |
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Definition
| Rapid increase in algae population |
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Definition
| Uses Fe as a catalyst to combine nitrogen with 3 hydrogens |
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| Small dark particles formed by the incomplete combustion of organic matter |
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