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Chapter 3 APES
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biosphere | The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth. |
| Producer/Autotroph | An organism that uses photosynthesis to produce energy; autotroph |
| Photosynthesis | Process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. |
| Cellular respiration | the process by which cells unlock energy of chemical compounds |
| Consumer/Heterotroph | An organism incapable of photosynthesis; eats other organisms |
| Herbivore/primary consumer | A consumer that eats producers; primary consumers |
| Carnivore | Eats other consumers |
| Secondary consumer | A carnivore that eats primary consimers |
| Tertiary consumer | Carnivore that eats other secondary consumers |
| Trophic levels | successive levels of organisms consuming one another |
| Food Chain | The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers. |
| Food Web | A complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels. |
| Scavengers | organisms that consume dead animals |
| Detrivores | organisms that specialize in breaking down dead tissues and waste products. |
| Decomposers | Fungi and bacteria that convrt organic material into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem. |
| GPP | total amount of solar energy produced over a given period of time. |
| NPP | Total amount of solar energy produced over a given period of time minus the energy producers respire. |
| Biomass | Total amount of living matter in a specific area. |
| Ecological Efficiency | the proportion of consumed energy that can be passe from one trophic level to another. |
| Trophic Pyramid | A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels. |
| biogeochemical cycle | The movement of matter within and between ecosystems. |
| Hydrologic cycle | The movement of water within and through the biosphere, |
| Transpiration | the release of water from leaves during photosynthesis |
| Runoff | Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers |
| Carbon Cycle | the movement of carbon around the biosphere |
| Limiting Nutrient | A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients. |
| Nitrogen Cycle | Movement of nitrogen around the biosphere |
| Leaching | The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater. |
| Phosphorus cycle | The movement of phosphorus around the biosphere. |
| Sulfur cycle | movement of sulfur around the biosphere. |