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
