APES Chapter 3, 4, 5

photsynthesis

Plants use light energy and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Uses light energy to produce carbohydrates and other compounds

carnivores

eat only meat

s shaped growth curve

shows that the population size is stable, at or near its carrying capacity

biosphere

where live exists on earth

mass extinction

a significant rise in extrinction rates above the background extinction level

irruptive

suddenly increase then decrease

evolution

the change in a populations genetic make up over time

ultimate source of energy

yhthe sun

Clumped

Some areas within the habitat are dense with organisms, while other areas contain few member

ammonification

decomposer bacteria convert detritus into ammonia and water soluble salts

Secondary consumers

may be either carnivores, or omnivores

net primary productivity

measures how far producers can provide biomass needed by comsumers in an ecosystem

Random

no specific pattern

natural selection

occurs when members of a population have genetic traits that improve their ability to survive and produce offspring with those specific traits

anaerobic respiration

some decomposers are able to break down organic compounds without using oxygen

nitrification

special bacteria convert ammonia in the oil to nitrite ions and nitrate ions, the latter is used by plants as a nutrient

When enviornmental conditions are stable

specialist species have the advantage

nitrogen fixation

specialized bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen to ammonia

pyramid of energy flow

visualizes the loss of energy through the food chain

hydrosphere

water

shannon weiner index

way of measuring species diversity

Water cycle is altered by humans

we withdraw large quantities of water we clear vegetation and increase runoff we add nutrients like fertilizers and modify the quality of water

extinction

when a population cannot adapt to changing enviormental conditions

Background extinction

when local enviornmental conditions change, some species will disappear at a low rate

reproductive isolation

when speciation occurs organisms become so genetically different, they can no longer interbreed

j shaped growth curve

with few resource limitations, a population will have exponential growth

second law of thermodynamics

without energy systems tend toward entropy when changing forms of energy some is lost nothing is 100% energy goes from hot to cold

cell theory

all living things are made of cells

abiotic

non living

Community

all populations together

What determines a biome

Plant and climate life

number of species identified

1.75 million

formula for photosynthesis

6CO2+6H2O+SUNLIGHT--->C6H12O6+6O2

biological community

All of the populations of organisms living and interacting in a particular area

Formula for cellular respiraition

C6H12O6+6CO2-->6CO2+6H20+energy

Example of keystone species

Grizzly Bear

Organization of a biosphere

Organism Species population community ecosystem biosphere

Carbon dioxide

What plants emit during photosynthesis

chemosynthesis

When organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

ecological niche

a war of life in an ecosystem, everything that affects its survival and reproduction

Generalist Species

able to live in broad niches. able to survive a wide range of enviornmental species

physical enviornment influence on an organism

affects resources and competitors

gene splicing

alteration of an organisms genetic material, through adding, deleting, or changing segments of its DNA

faciliation

an area is made suitable for a second species by actions of the first

organism

an individual living being

Energy becomes more usable

as it flows through systems

90% loss of energy

as one moves to the next higher tropic level

Losses of potential energy occur

as one moves up a energy pyramid and conforms with the second law of thermodynamics

poineer species

attach themselves to patches of bare rocks to begin the process

genetic resistance

bacteria becoming resistant to an antibiotic

increase in population

birth and immigration

four variables that influence/govern population size

birth, death, immigration, emigration

Mutualism

both species benefit

decomposers

break down the organic detritus into simpler inorganic compounds

forest fires of deforestation

can convert a particular stage of succession to an earlier one

range of tolerance

certain range of physical and chemical enviornment a species can survive in

irregular

change erratically

photosynthesis and aerboic respiration

ciculate carbon in the biosphere

hydrolic cycle

collects, purifies, and distributes the earth's water in a vast global cycle

Intraspecific competition

competition between the same species

Interspecific comepetion

competiton between different species

food web

complex networks of interconnected food chains

density indeendent population

controls affect a population's size regardless of its density

density dependent population

controls have a greater affect on the population as its density increases

decrease in population

death and emigraton

secondary succession

defines a series of communities with different species developing in places with soil or bottom setiment. The soil or sediment remains after the natural community of organisms has been disturbed, removed, or destroyed

inhibition

early species delay establishment of later species

geosphere

earths hot core

herbivores

eat only plants

omnivores

eat plants and eat

first law of thermodynamics

energy canot be created nor destroyed

causes of mutations

exposed to external agents random mistake that occur in coded genetic instruction

uniform

fairly uniform spacing between individuals

heterotrophs

feed on other organisms and their remains

tropic level

feeding levels for organisms within an ecosystem

ozone

filter out harmful uv radiation emitted by the sun

troposphere

first layer of the atmosphere..weather occurs in this zone. It is also where we live

stable

fluctuates slightly above and below carrying capacity

contain carbon

fossil fuels

2 types of aquatic life zones

freshwater and marine

oxygen

gas released into the atmosphere during photosynthesis

When habitats are subject to rapid change

generalist species usually fare better

nutrient cycles

global recycling systems that interconnect all organisms

during respiration

glucose is oxidized by the cells to produce carbon dioide

species

group of organisms that can interbreed

Eukaryotic cell

has membrane-bound organelled and a nucleus, everything that is not bacteria

prokaryotic cell

has no membrane-bacteria

adaptive traits

heritable traits that help organisms to survive and reproduce under prevailing enviornmental conditions

Primary consumers

heteroptrophs and get their energy by consuming primary producers

natural sources of sulfur

hydrogen sulfide released from volcanoes, swamps, bogs, and tidal flats

Keystone species

if extinct would cause the extinction of many others

CO2

importanr temperature regualor on earth

differential reproduction

individuals with adaptive genetic traits produce more living offspring then do individuals without such traits

most of the known species

insects

genetic diversity

involves the range of all genetic traits, both expressed and recessive, that make up a gene pool for a particular species

tolerance

later species are unaffected by plants at earlier stages of succession

biological evolution

life has evolved into six major groups of species

Specialist species

live in narrow niches-very sensative to enviornmental change. More prone to extinction

biotic

living components on earth

mid successional plants

low shrubs and trees

biomes

major regional or global biotic community characterized by the dominate forms of plant life and climate

natural greenhouse effect

makes the planet warm enough to support life

resource partitioning

occurs when species competing for similar scarce resources evolve specialized traits that allow them to use resources at different times, in different ways, or in different places

Ecosystem

one or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their non living enviornment

Commensalism

one organism benefits while the other species is not affected

Population

one species

Parasitism

one species is benefited and the other is hurt

Amensalism

one species suffers and the other species is not affected

3 factors that sustain life on earth

one way flow of energy cycling of matter gravity

cellular respiration

opposite of photosynthesis

Interspecific

organisms of a different species

Intraspecific

organisms of the same species

detritivores

organisms that consume organic waste

Species diversity

organisms that live in different enviornments and are specifically adapted to their particular biome

photoautotrophs

organisms that undergo photosynthesis

ecological efficiency

percentage of usuable energy transferrred as biomasss from one trophic level to another

fossils

physical evidence of ancient organisms

geographic isolation

physical seperation for a long time

habitat

place where an organism lives

chlorophyll

plants capture light primarly through this green pigment

Through photosynthesis

plants convert solar energy into food

biotic potential

populations capacity for growth

Predation

predators hunt and kill prey

age structure of a population

prereproductive stage, reproductive stage, post reproductive stage

belong to the second tropic level

primary consumers

plants

primary producers

belong to the first trophic level

producers

indicator species

provide early warning of ecosystem damage because they have a narrow range of tolerance

mutations

random changes in the sturcture/number of DNA molecules in a cell

bacteria

recycle nitrogen through the earth's systems

succession

reflects a struggle for each species to obtain food, light, nutrients, and space to gain an advantage by occupying much of its fundamental niche as possiable.

r stratagists

reproduce early short periods between generations have long reproductive lives reproduce multiple offspring each time they reproduce

Ecological Niche

role of a species in an organism

Saprotropism

saprotrophs obtain their nutrients from dead or decaying plants or animals

ecology

scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

stratosphere

second layer of the atmosphere..contains small amounts of gaseous ozone

belong to the third throphic level

secondary consumers

producers/autotophs

self feeders..make their own food from components in the enviornment

Law of tolerance

the distribution of a species in an ecosystem is determined by the levels of mone or more physical or chemical factors being within the range tolerated by the species

biomass

the dry weight of all organic matter within the organisms of a food chain/web

ecological succession

the gradual change in species composition of a given area

primary ecological succession

the gradual establishment of biotic communities, in an aquatic community there is no sediment. This takes a very long time

logistic growth

the growth rate levels off as population size reaches or nears carrying capacity

species diversity

the number of species combined with their relative abundance

gross primary productivity

the rate of an ecosystem's biomass production

intristic rate of increase

the rate of population growth with unlimited resources

food chain

the sequence of organisms as they are eaten

cell

the unit of life

aerobic respiration

the use of oxygen to convert organic matter back to carbon dioxide and water

The energy derived from oxidation during cellular respiration

then used to form other organic compounds such as cellulose, lipids, and amino acids

atmosphere

thin spherical envelope of gases surronding the earths surface

early successional plants

tiny annuals

limiting factor principle

too much or too litlle of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population

late successional plants

tree species that create shade and can tolerate shade

speciation

two species arise from one when some members of a population cannt breed with other members to produce fertile offspring

phosphorus

used as a fertilizer to encourage plant growth

Metabiosis

using something that another organism created

cyclic

vary in regular cycles