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chapter3
bio diff
Term | Definition |
---|---|
food chain | series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. |
food web | network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem. |
tropic level | each step in a food chain or food web. |
ecological pyramid | illustration of the relative amounts of energy or intercontinental within each tropic level in a given food chain or food web. |
biomass | total amount of living tissue within a given tropic level. |
phytoplankton | photosynthetic algae found near the surface of the ocean. |
zooplankton | small free-floating animals that form part of plankton. |
biochemical cycle | process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and formed one part of the biosphere to another. |
nutrient | chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life. |
denitrification | process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas. |
nitrogen fixation | process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use. |
limiting nutrient | single essential nutrient that limits productivity in an ecosystem. |