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Ecological Anachronism

An ecological anachronism refers to a situation where a species or ecological relationship is out of sync with the current environment due to historical changes. Examples include plants or animals that have specific ecological relationships or traits that were once adaptive but are no longer relevant. An example is the interaction between extinct megafauna and large-fruited plants that rely on them for seed dispersal, despite the megafauna's extinction.

Continentality

Continentality refers to the climate characteristics and conditions associated with being located deep within a large landmass, far from the moderating influence of the ocean. Areas with high continentality tend to experience more extreme temperature variations between seasons, with hot summers and cold winters.

Cytochrome b6f

Cytochrome b6f is a protein complex in the thylakoid membrane that plays a role in electron transport during photosynthesis, helping to generate the proton gradient used in ATP synthesis.

Decarboxylation

Decarboxylation is the removal of a carbon dioxide molecule from a molecule. It can occur during various metabolic processes, including respiration.

Decomposition

Decomposition is the biological process by which organic matter, such as dead plants, leaves, and other organic materials, is broken down and transformed into simpler inorganic compounds by microorganisms, fungi, and other decomposers. This process releases nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus back into the soil, making them available for use by plants and other organisms. Decomposition is a critical part of nutrient cycling in ecosystems.

Decomposition

Decomposition is the breakdown of organic matter, such as dead plants and animals, into simpler organic compounds by microbial and fungal activity. This process releases nutrients and carbon back into the soil and atmosphere.

Fabaceae

Fabaceae is a family of flowering plants, commonly known as legumes. It is a large and diverse plant family that includes many economically and ecologically important species, such as peas, beans, lentils, soybeans, and clover. One distinctive characteristic of many plants in the Fabaceae family is their ability to form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia. These bacteria colonize the plant's root nodules, where they convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium, providing an important source of nitrogen for the legume plant. This ability to fix nitrogen from the air makes legumes valuable in crop rotation systems to enhance soil fertility and reduce the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

Grana (Granum, singular)

Grana are stacks of thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts. They are the sites of the light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy (usually in the form of glucose) using carbon dioxide and water. This process occurs in chloroplasts.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy, typically from the sun, into chemical energy in the form of glucose and other organic compounds. This process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into sugars and oxygen (O2).

Photosystem I

Photosystem I is a complex of proteins and pigments in the thylakoid membrane that plays a key role in capturing light energy and reducing NADP+ to NADPH during the light reactions.

Photosystem II

Photosystem II is another complex of proteins and pigments in the thylakoid membrane that initiates the electron transport chain by oxidizing water and generating ATP during the light reactions.

Watershed

A watershed, also known as a drainage basin or catchment area, is the geographic area or land surface that drains into a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. It is defined by natural topographical boundaries.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

ATP is a molecule that stores and transfers energy within cells. It is used as an energy source for various cellular processes, including photosynthesis.

ATP Synthase

ATP synthase is an enzyme embedded in the thylakoid membrane that synthesizes ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate using the proton gradient created during the light reactions.

Accessory Pigments

Accessory pigments are other pigments in chloroplasts that assist chlorophyll in capturing light energy and broadening the range of wavelengths that can be utilized for photosynthesis.

Adaptive Radiation

Adaptive radiation is a process of rapid speciation and diversification where a single ancestral species gives rise to multiple new species, each adapted to different ecological niches. It often occurs when a group of organisms encounters new environmental opportunities or resources.

Aerenchyma

Aerenchyma is a spongy tissue found in some plants, particularly aquatic ones. It contains air spaces that facilitate oxygen exchange between roots and submerged parts of the plant.

Autotrophic Respiration

Autotrophic respiration refers to the metabolic processes by which plants and other autotrophic organisms release energy by breaking down organic compounds within their own cells. It is essential for the maintenance and growth of these organisms.

Carbon Flux

Carbon flux represents the movement or transfer of carbon between different carbon pools or from one location to another within an ecosystem or between ecosystems. It includes processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon transport.

Carbon Pools (Stocks)

Carbon pools, or carbon stocks, refer to the various reservoirs or storage locations of carbon within an ecosystem. Common carbon pools include living vegetation, dead organic matter (e.g., leaf litter and fallen trees), soil organic matter, and the atmosphere.

Carboxylation

Carboxylation is the process of adding a carbon dioxide molecule to a molecule during photosynthesis. It is the initial step in carbon fixation.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy during photosynthesis. It plays a central role in capturing light and converting it into chemical energy.

Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts are membrane-bound organelles found in plant cells and some algal cells. They are the sites of photosynthesis, containing pigments like chlorophyll that capture light energy.

Constitutive Traits

Constitutive traits are characteristics of an organism that are present continuously or under normal conditions, as opposed to traits that are induced in response to specific environmental stimuli.

Epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants, often in tree canopies, without drawing nutrients from the host plant. They are adapted to thrive in unique ecological niches.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

GPP is the total amount of energy captured by plants in an ecosystem through photosynthesis in a given period. It represents the total carbon fixed by plants from the atmosphere in the form of organic compounds.

Geologic Time

Geologic time refers to the vast expanse of time in Earth's history, spanning billions of years, during which significant geological and biological events have occurred. Geologic time is divided into eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages to categorize and describe Earth's history.

Gravitational Potential

Gravitational potential is the potential energy of water due to its height above a reference point. It affects water movement under the influence of gravity, such as in drainage and flow down slopes.

Gross Photosynthesis

Gross photosynthesis is the total rate at which photosynthesis occurs in a plant, including the rate of carbon dioxide fixation before any losses due to respiration are accounted for.

Guard Cells

Guard cells are specialized cells that surround and control the opening and closing of stomata. They change shape to regulate the size of the stomatal pore, which in turn controls gas exchange and water loss.

Heterotrophic Respiration

Heterotrophic respiration is the process by which organisms, including animals and decomposers, release energy by consuming organic matter from other sources, such as plants or other organisms.

Hydrology

Hydrology is the scientific study of water, its distribution, movement, quality, and the processes involved in the water cycle, including precipitation, evaporation, and water flow in rivers and groundwater.

Immobilization

Immobilization is a process in which microorganisms in the soil absorb and retain nutrients, such as nitrogen, rendering them temporarily unavailable for plant uptake. It occurs when microbes use nutrients from the soil as a source of energy and growth.

Infiltration

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil from the surface. It is a key component of the water cycle and affects groundwater recharge.

Interception

Interception refers to the process by which precipitation is captured and retained by vegetation, such as leaves, before it reaches the ground. It can temporarily store water and influence the timing of runoff.

Matric Potential

Matric potential is a component of water potential that results from the physical forces exerted on water by soil particles. It influences water movement in unsaturated soils.

Mesophytes

Mesophytes are plants adapted to moderate or balanced moisture conditions. They are neither highly drought-tolerant nor aquatic, typically found in environments with adequate water availability.

Mineralization

Mineralization is the opposite of immobilization. It is the process in which microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) in inorganic forms (e.g., ammonium) back into the soil, making them available for plant uptake.

NADPH

NADPH is a coenzyme that carries high-energy electrons and hydrogen ions. It is involved in the reduction of carbon dioxide to sugars during the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis.

Net Biome Production (NBP)

NBP is the net carbon balance of a larger geographic area, such as a biome or an entire ecosystem. It considers all carbon exchanges between the biome and the atmosphere, including NEE, and represents whether the biome is a carbon source or sink.

Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE)

NEE is the net exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between an ecosystem and the atmosphere. It considers all CO2 inputs and outputs from the ecosystem. A negative NEE implies that the ecosystem is absorbing more CO2 than it releases, while a positive NEE indicates a net release of CO2 to the atmosphere.

Net Ecosystem Production (NEP)

NEP is the net gain or loss of carbon within an ecosystem over a specific period. It accounts for all carbon inputs and outputs, including those from both living and dead organisms. A positive NEP indicates a carbon sink (more carbon stored than released), while a negative NEP indicates a carbon source (more carbon released than stored).

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

NPP is the net gain in energy or carbon stored in plants after subtracting the energy used by plants for their own respiration (R). It represents the energy available for consumption by herbivores and the growth of plant biomass.

Nitrification

Nitrification is a two-step microbial process in the nitrogen cycle that converts ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-). Nitrification is carried out by specific groups of soil bacteria, such as Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. This process is essential for making nitrogen in the soil available to plants, as nitrate is a form of nitrogen that many plants can uptake and use for growth.

Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) is converted into ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4+), which are forms of nitrogen that can be used by plants. Nitrogen fixation can occur through biological means, involving nitrogen-fixing bacteria (free-living or symbiotic with plants), or through non-biological processes, such as industrial nitrogen fixation. The Fabaceae family of plants (legumes) often forms symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules, allowing them to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.

Osmotic Potential

Osmotic potential is a component of water potential that is related to the presence of solutes (e.g., dissolved salts or sugars) in a solution. It influences water movement across semi-permeable membranes, such as plant cell walls.

Oxaloacetate (OAA)

Oxaloacetate is a four-carbon compound that is produced in the C4 pathway and is essential for transporting carbon dioxide to bundle-sheath cells.

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)

PAR refers to the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (400-700 nm) that plants use for photosynthesis. It includes visible light.

PEP Carboxylase

PEP carboxylase is an enzyme used in the C4 photosynthetic pathway to capture and convert carbon dioxide into a four-carbon compound.

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)

PEP is a three-carbon compound that plays a role in the initial steps of the C4 photosynthetic pathway.

Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD)

PPFD is a measure of the number of photons in the PAR range that reach a specific area (usually expressed in micromoles of photons per square meter per second). It quantifies the light available for photosynthesis.

Paleoecology

Paleoecology is the scientific study of ancient ecosystems and the interactions between organisms and their environments in the geological past. It involves reconstructing past ecological relationships, climates, and environmental conditions using fossil evidence and geological data.

Palynology

Palynology is the scientific study of pollen and spores, particularly their distribution, abundance, and preservation in sediments, soils, or other materials. Palynology is used in various fields, including geology, archaeology, and paleoecology, to understand past vegetation, climate, and environmental conditions.

Pangaea

Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, approximately 335 to 175 million years ago. It was a landmass that included most of Earth's current continents, assembled together before breaking apart into the continents we know today.

Phenology

Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, such as the timing of flowering, fruiting, and other events in plants, in response to environmental cues.

Phosphoglycerate (3PGA)

Phosphoglycerate is a three-carbon compound produced in the Calvin cycle after carbon fixation. It is an intermediate in the pathway to glucose synthesis.

Photorespiration

Photorespiration is a metabolic process in plants that occurs when oxygen, rather than carbon dioxide, is bound to Rubisco. It can reduce the efficiency of photosynthesis.

Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory that explains the movement and interaction of Earth's lithospheric plates, which make up the Earth's surface. The theory describes how the plates move, leading to phenomena like the creation of new ocean crust, subduction zones, earthquakes, and the formation of mountain ranges.

Pleistocene Rewilding

Pleistocene rewilding is a conservation concept that involves reintroducing or restoring large, extinct or extirpated species to their former or analogous habitats in an effort to recreate past ecosystems. The idea is to promote biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Pneumatophores

Pneumatophores are specialized, above-ground, respiratory roots found in certain plants, primarily mangroves, that grow in waterlogged or anaerobic soils. They help the plant obtain oxygen from the air.

Pressure Potential

Pressure potential is a component of water potential that is associated with the pressure exerted on water in a system. It can be positive (pressure) or negative (tension) and affects water movement in plant cells.

Prop Roots

Prop roots are adventitious roots that grow from the lower nodes of the stem of some plants, providing additional support and anchorage, particularly in species like banyan trees.

RuBP (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate)

RuBP is a five-carbon compound that combines with carbon dioxide in the initial step of the Calvin cycle to form a three-carbon compound.

Rubisco (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase)

Rubisco is an enzyme involved in carbon fixation during photosynthesis. It catalyzes the initial step in the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

Runoff

Runoff is the flow of water over the land surface into streams, rivers, and other water bodies. It occurs when the rate of precipitation exceeds the rate of infiltration or evaporation.

Specific Leaf Mass

Specific leaf mass is a measure of leaf thickness and density, usually expressed in terms of leaf mass per unit area. It can be an indicator of a plant's resource allocation strategy.

Stem Flow

Stem flow is the flow of water down the stems or trunks of plants, particularly trees, following precipitation. It can contribute to localized soil moisture and nutrient enrichment in the root zone.

Stomata

Stomata are small pores found on the surfaces of leaves, stems, and other plant organs. They regulate the exchange of gases, primarily carbon dioxide and oxygen, between the plant and the surrounding atmosphere.

Sublimation

Sublimation is the phase transition in which water changes directly from a solid (ice) to a gas (water vapor) without passing through the liquid phase. It often occurs in cold and dry conditions.

Calvin-Benson Cycle

The Calvin-Benson cycle, often called the Calvin cycle, is the series of chemical reactions that take place in the stroma of chloroplasts. It uses ATP and NADPH from the light reactions to convert carbon dioxide into sugars.

Wisconsin Glaciation

The Wisconsin Glaciation, also known as the Last Glacial Maximum, was a period of extensive glaciation that occurred during the Pleistocene epoch, roughly 100,000 to 11,700 years ago. During this time, massive ice sheets covered much of North America, including parts of what is now the United States and Canada. It had a significant impact on landscapes, climate, and the distribution of plant and animal species.

Calcium (Cycle)

The calcium cycle refers to the movement of calcium through geological and ecological processes, such as weathering of calcium-containing minerals, the incorporation of calcium into plant structures, and the return of calcium to the ecosystem through processes like decomposition.

Cuticle

The cuticle is a waxy, hydrophobic layer covering the outer surface of leaves and stems of plants. It helps reduce water loss and serves as a protective barrier against environmental stressors.

Light Reactions

The light reactions are the initial stages of photosynthesis that occur in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts. During these reactions, light energy is absorbed and converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.

Nitrogen (Cycle)

The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical process by which nitrogen is cycled through various forms and locations in the environment, including nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and ammonification. It is vital for the availability of nitrogen to plants and the functioning of ecosystems.

Phosphorus (Cycle)

The phosphorus cycle is the movement of phosphorus through the Earth's geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. It primarily involves the weathering of rocks and minerals, the cycling of phosphates in aquatic systems, and its incorporation into biological molecules.

Stroma

The stroma is the fluid-filled space inside chloroplasts where the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle) of photosynthesis occur.

Thylakoid Membrane

The thylakoid membrane is a system of flattened sacs within chloroplasts where the light reactions of photosynthesis take place. It contains the pigments and protein complexes necessary for capturing and converting light energy.

Water Balance Equation

The water balance equation is a mathematical representation of the conservation of water in a given system. It accounts for inputs (e.g., precipitation), outputs (e.g., evaporation and runoff), and changes in water storage.

Turgor

Turgor refers to the pressure exerted by the fluid (usually water) inside the central vacuole of plant cells against the cell wall. It contributes to cell rigidity and maintains the shape of non-woody plant structures.

Water Potential

Water potential is a measure of the potential energy of water in a system. It represents the driving force for water movement and is influenced by factors such as pressure, solute concentration, and gravity.

Water Use Efficiency

Water use efficiency is a measure of how effectively a plant uses water to produce biomass or perform physiological processes. It is often expressed as the ratio of water used to the amount of plant growth.