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| a network of relationships among parts, elements, or components that interact with and influence each other through the exchange of energy, matter, or information. |
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a circular process in which a system’s A Circular process in which a system's
output serves as input to that same system |
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| Output form a system moving in one direction acts as input that moves the system in the other direction. |
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| Instead of stabilizing a system it drives it further towards one extreme. |
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| A system processes move in in opposing directions. (negative feedback) |
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| A system maintains constant stable internal conditions. |
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| system characteristics are not evident in the components alone. (the whole is more then the sum of it's parts.) |
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| proposes that organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a self-regulating, complex system that contributes to maintaining the conditions for life on the planet. |
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| The air surrounding our planet. |
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| Liquid, solid, or vapor water. |
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| The planet's livings organisms and the abiotic (non living) portions of the enviorment. |
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| All organisms and nonliving entities that occur and interact in a particular area at the same time. |
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| Conservation of solar energy to chemical energy energy in sugars by autotrophs. |
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| Gross primary production (GPP) |
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| Assimilation of energy by autotrophs |
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| Net Primary production (NPP) |
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| Energy remaining after respiration which is used to generate biomass. |
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| Biomass generated by heterotrophs from consuming autotrophs. |
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| Rate at which ecosystems generate biomass. |
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| High net primary productivity |
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| ecosystems whose plants rapidly convert solar energy to biomass |
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| Elements and compounds required for survival that are consumed by organisms |
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nutrients required in larger amounts
(Nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus) |
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| nutrients needed in smaller amounts |
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| transitional zones between two ecosystems |
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studies how landscape structure affects the abundance, distribution, and interaction of organisms
(Helpful for sustainable regional development) |
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| A network of subpopulations |
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| Geographic information system (GIS) |
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| Computer software used in landscape ecology research that analyzes how elements of a landscape are arranged. |
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| a simplified representation of a complex natural process |
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constructs and tests models
To explain and predict how ecological systems work |
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services provided by the planets systems
( Soil formation, water and air purification, pollination
Breakdown of some pollutants and waste) |
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| Nutrient (biogeochemical) cycles |
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| The movement of nutrients through the ecosystem. |
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| where nutrients reside for varying amounts of time (the residence time) |
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| The rate at which materials move between pools. |
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| A pool that releases more nutrients than it accepts. |
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| A pool that accepts more nutrients then it releases. |
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| summarizes how liquid, gaseous and solid water flows through the environment |
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| water moves from aquatic and land systems into the atmosphere |
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| release of water vapor by plants |
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| Precipitation,runoff, and surface water |
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| water returns to Earth as rain or snow and flows into streams, oceans, etc |
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| underground reservoirs of sponge-like regions of rock and soil that hold ground water. |
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| Water found underground beneath layers of soil |
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| The upper limit of groundwater in an aquifer |
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| = describes the route of carbon atoms through the environment |
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| describes the routes that nitrogen atoms take through the environment |
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| lightning or nitrogen-fixing bacteria combine (fix) nitrogen with hydrogen |
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| bacteria convert ammonium ions first into nitrite ions then into nitrate ions |
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| convert nitrates in soil or water to gaseous nitrogen |
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| production of fertilizers by combining nitrogen and hydrogen to synthesize ammonia |
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| = describes the routes that phosphorus atoms take through the environment |
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