Biology Test 3

Climatogram

A chart commonly used to graphically display both annual average temperature (highs, lows, and averages) and precipitation information for a city or region. Generally, it is based on 30 or more years of data.

Biome

A major ecological community of organisms adapted to a particular climatic or environmental condition on a large geographic area in which they occur.

Latitude

A measure of relative position north or south on the Earth's surface, measured in degrees from the equator, which has a latitude of 0°, with the poles having a latitude of 90° north and south.

Limiting factors

A resource or environmental condition which limits the growth, distribution or abundance of an organism or population within an ecosystem. These can be either physical or biological factors

Competition

A symbiotic relationship between or among living things that compete for a limited resources, such as food, space, shelter, mate, ecological status, etc

Scavenger

An animal (such as a vulture or coyote) that eats carcasses abandoned by predators, digs through trash cans for food, etc., true scavengers seldom kill their own prey (but many animals are not exclusively scavengers). Any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter. Scavengers' role is vital for the ecosystem as they contribute to the decomposition, while decomposers and detritus feeders are responsible for completing the process. Big helpers for the decomposition process are the scavengers, while detritus feeders are the small helpers.

Carnivore

An animal or plant (particularly insect- and invertebrate-eating plants) that requires a staple diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue through predation or scavenging. In a food chain, carnivores are either secondary or tertiary consumers.

Herbivore

An animal that feeds mainly or only on plants. In a food chain, herbivores are primary consumers.

Estuary

An inlet or arm of the sea, especially the wide mouth of a river, where the tide meets the current.

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in organic substances, usually plant or animal matter.

Omnivore

An organism that eats both plants and animals.

Detritivore

An organism that feeds on and breaks down dead and decomposing organic matter (plant or animal), returning essential nutrients to the ecosystem. Decomposers break down the dead organisms through decomposition while the DETRITIVORES consume the decaying organisms. Detritivores come in different forms, namely; worms, millipedes, woodlice, dung flies, etc.

Consumer

An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organic matter due to lack of the ability to manufacture own food from inorganic sources; a heterotroph

Decomposer

An organism, often a bacterium or fungus, that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, (by a chemical process) thus making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem. Decomposers are the organisms that contribute to the decomposition process. *Decomposers break down the dead organisms through decomposition while the detritivores consume the decaying organisms. Most decomposers are in the forms of bacteria or fungus.

Primary producer

Any green plant or any of various microorganisms that can convert light energy or chemical energy into organic matter.

Autotroph

Autotrophs are the producers in a food chain, such as plants on land or algae in water. They are capable of manufacturing their own food by photosynthesis or by chemosynthesis.

Freshwater

Consisting of or living in water that is not salty.

Geographic range

Describes the spatial area where a species is found.

Water cycle (in order)

Evaporation: Heat from the Sun causes water on Earth (in oceans, lakes etc) to evaporate (turn from liquid into gas) and rise into the sky. This water vapor collects in the sky in the form of clouds. Condensation: As water vapor in the clouds cools down it becomes water again, this process is called condensation. Precipitation: Water falls from the sky in the form of rain, snow, hail, or sleet, this process is called precipitation. Collection: Oceans and lakes collect water that has fallen. Water evaporates into the sky again and the cycle continues. Extra: Transpiration: In a process similar to sweating, plants lose water which is absorbed into the atmosphere much like evaporation. The combination of evaporation and transpiration is known as evapotranspiration. Sublimation: It is possible for a solid to transform into a gas directly (without becoming a liquid). The most common example of sublimation is dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) which sublimes at normal air temperature. Under certain conditions snow and ice can also sublime.

Greenhouse effect

Keeps excess carbon in and reradiates greenhouse gases and controls global temperature.

Decomposers vs. Detritivores

Key Differences Decomposers decompose substances by a chemical process while detritivores do not. Detritivore is useful in making important nutrient substances. Detritivore actually eat organic matter but decomposers are known to secrete enzymes for the decaying of dead organic matter. Detritivore consume detritus to obtain energy. Detritivore is one of the form of decomposers. Decomposer breaks down substances through a process of decomposition while detritivore consume the dead or decaying matter. Most bacterias and fungi are the decomposers but detritivores are in the form of worms, crabs and many more such organisms.

Biogeochemical cycles

Pathway by which a chemical substance moves through biotic and abiotic components of earths biosphere. The cycle in which nitrogen, carbon, and other inorganic elements of the soil, atmosphere, etc. of a region are converted into the organic substances of animals or plants and released back into the environment

Habitat

Place where an organism or a biological population normally lives or occurs.

Marine

Relating to a system of open-ocean and unprotected coastal habitats, characterized by exposure to wave action, tidal fluctuation, and ocean currents and by the absence of trees, shrubs, or emergent vegetation.

Chemosynthesis

The formation of organic compounds using the energy released from chemical reactions instead of the energy of sunlight.

Niche

The function or position of a species within an ecological community. Organisms place in its ecosystem biotic and abiotic factors. A species's niche includes the physical environment to which it has become adapted as well as its role as producer and consumer of food resources.

Climate

The general or average weather conditions of a certain region, including temperature, rainfall, and wind. It's the weather over a period of time

Biotic / Abiotic

The living things in an ecosystem are called BIOTIC factors. Living things include plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and more. The non living parts of an ecosystem are called ABIOTIC factors. Abiotic factors in an environment include such items as sunlight, temperature, atmospheric gases water and soil.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. During photosynthesis in green plants, light energy is captured and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds.

Weather

The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc. Day-to-Day

Range of tolerance

the range of environmental conditions that are tolerable for survival in a species. In other words, too little or too much of a specific environmental condition may result in death.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

weather- day-to-day climate- the weather over a period of time