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Bio 20 Unit 1
Biology 20-1 Unit A: Energy and Matter Exchange in the Biosphere
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Closed System | A system where the amount of matter is fixed and finite. Earth is a closed system. If one thing changes in a closed system, the rest will be affected |
| Dynamic Equilibrium | A system with constant change in which components can adjust to the changes without disturbing the entire system |
| Human Impact | Humans have the greatest impact on the disruption of the dynamic equilibrium of earth |
| Levels of Organization | Cells, tissues, organs, organ system, and functioning body |
| Levels of Ecological Studies | Individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems and biosphere |
| Biosphere | The narrow zone around Earth that harbours life |
| Biotic | The living components of the biosphere |
| Abiotic | The non-living components of the biosphere |
| Populations | A group of individuals of the same species in a given area at once |
| Community | The population of all species that occupy a habitat |
| Ecosystem | A community and its physical and chemical environment (all living and non-living components of an area) |
| Biodiversity | The number of different species in an ecosystem |
| Food Chain | A sequence linking organisms that feed each other, starting with a food source and continuing in order with each consumer |
| Producers/Autotrophs | An autotroph, an organism that makes its own food. Able to transform light (or chemical energy) into food; photosynthesis, chemosynthesis |
| Consumers/ Heterophs | A heteroph ; an organism that must eat producers and other consumers to survive. primary, secondary, tertiary, quarternary |
| Trophic Level | A category of living things defined by how it gains its energy; the first level trophic level contains autotrophs, and each higher level contains heterophs |
| Decomposers | Includes bacteria and fungi. Unlock nutrients from detritus and make them available for use by other organisms |
| Photosynthesis | Only 0.025% of sunlight is used for photosynthesis. A process that converts solar energy into chemical energy. Carried out by green plants, algae, and bacteria. Take energy from the abiotic factors and transfers it into the biotic components |
| Cellular Respiration | Process in which carbohydrates are manufactured from carbon dioxide and water using chemical nutrients as the energy source, rather than sunlight ex bacteria who gain their energy from hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor |
| First Law Of Thermodynamics | Energy is neither created or destroyed; only converted from one for to another. |
| Second Law of Thermodynamics | Each time an energy conversion occurs, some enrgy becomes more diffuse and thus less useful |
| Scientific Models | Scientists use models to help visualize something that has not been directly observed. Models are important because they provide a pathway for making prediction |
| Ecological Pyramids | A model that is used to show the energy biomass or number of organisms in a food chain or food web |
| Pyramid of Numbers | Counting the number of organism at each trophic level. Volume at each level represents the number of organisms |
| Pyramid of Biomass | total dry mass of all living material in an ecosystem |
| Pyramid of Energy | A measure of the amount of energy available at each trophic level |
| Human use of Energy; Hunting | In the past over hunting has lead to dramatic changes in ecosystems |
| Human use of Energy; Fishing | New technologies have increased the ease and rate at which fish are being caught |
| Human use of Energy: Monocultures | Changing the biodiversity clearing land to plant food crops of one culture |
| Evaporation | Liquid water going into a gaseous state |
| Transpiration | Evaporation from plants |
| Condensation | Collection of water particles into liquid form a they cool down |
| Precipitation | Any form of water falling |
| Run off | flowing of precipitation into rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and oceans |
| Seepage | Absorption of water into the ground |
| Aquifer/Ground water | Water that reaches the ocean by seeping into the soil |
| Percolation | Refers to the downward pull of water through soil particles. The larger the particles the faster the rate of percolation |
| Leaching | the result of percolation. Refers to carrying dissolved organic matter and minerals into the lower layers of the soil. Remove chemicals from the upper level needed for plant growth |
| Waters Role in Nutrient Cycling | Polar molecule; dissolves many substances, such as nitrates and phosphates which are needed for plant growth, and ozygen and carbon dioxide, bringing these gases to organisms in aquatic ecosystems |
| Formation of sulfur dioxides and nitrous oxides | When fossil fuels containing sulfur are burned, sulfur in the form of sulfur dioxide enters the atmosphere. Combustions in automobiles and fossil fuel burning plants, as well as the use of nitrogen fertilizers, release nitrous oxides into the environment |
| What happens when sulfur dioxides and nitrous oxides enter the atmosphere? | They combine with water droplets to form acid, which returns to the surface of the Earth in the form of acid rain. -Kills soil. fish, bacteria and aquatic/terrestrial plants. -40x more acidic -leaches nutrients from the soil |
| Dry deposition | sulfur dioxides and nitrous oxides don't come into contact with water while in the air; instead, they bond to form acid when they return to the ground |
| Scrubber | Used to remove the majority of harmful emissions in smoke stacks |
| Where carbon can be found | -all living organisms -atmosphere -ocean -rocks -fossil fuels |
| Inorganic Carbon | -atmosphere: smallest amount -ocean: dissolved in water -rock: on the ocean floor or in sedimentary rock; released back into the cycle through geological conditions |
| Organic carbon | -Living organisms; DNA, carbohydrates, proteins, fat; released through decomposition-Bogs: low decomposition due to low oxygen levels. carbon gets trapped in sedimentary rock which tuns into coal-ocean floor; similar to bogs, will turn into oil and gas |
| Oxygen Cycle | -found in the atmosphere -from earth to living things through photosynthesis -from living things to earth through cellular respiration -important in combustion and decomposition |
| Mining Fossil Fuels | returns stored carbon to the atmosphere faster than normal |
| Clearing vegetation | decreasing the amount of carbon removed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis |
| Greenhouse effect | -Shorter waves of sunlight enter the greenhouse -light is reflected and wave lengths lengthen -Larger wave lengths are trapped by the gas |
| Global Warming | Burning of wood and fossil fuels that has caused CO2 levels to triple in the last 40 years |
| Warmer Climate Problems | -Decrease in permafrost -snowcaps and glaciers melting; increased water levels -desertification;amount of dry desert increases |
| Albedo Effect | -albedo; a measure of how reflective something is -high albedo means the surface reflects a lot of light -low albedo means a surface reflects little light |
| Nitrogen Cycle | -Required for cells to make protein -Required to synthesize DNA |
| Nitrogen Fixation | -nitrogen must be converted into nitrate to be useful to plants - can be converted through lightning, reacting with O2 to form NO3 -bacteria produce most nitrates in ecosystems; found in soil or the root hairs of legumes |
| Ammonification | Fungi and Bacteria convert N2 from decomposed organic wastes into NH3, which cannot be used by plants |
| Nitrification | Bacteria convert ammonia into nitrates and nitrites and nitrites into nitrates. Requires oxygen to function(adding oxygen). Nitrates are absorbed by plants, consumed by animals, restarting the cycle |
| Denitrification | bacteria can breakdown nitrates to nitrites and then into nitrogen gas that is released into the atmosphere. Does not require oxygen (taking away oxygen) |
| Negative effects of fertilizer | too much affects the acidity of the soil. accumulation of notrogen and phosphates can increase algae growth and cause algae blooms |
| Ecology | The study of the relationship of organisms with one another and their physical surroundings |
| Ecotone | transition areas that contain species from bordering ecosystems. Greater biodiversity in ecotones. |
| Ecological Niche | An organisms role in an ecosystem -place in the food web -habitat -breeding area -time of day it is most active -everything an organism does to survive and reproduce |
| Exotic Species | Species introduced to an ecosystem that are not naturally found there. Comes into competition with one ore more species. Has no natural predator |
| Chemical Environment in Aquatic Ecosystems | -salt vs fresh water -oxygen levels -dissolved naturally occuring minerals |
| Temperature Affecting Aquatic Ecosytems | -based on seasons and the depth of the body of water -winter; ponds, iced covered. deep lakes and oceans, little sunlight |
| Sunlight Affecting Aquatic Ecosystems | More sunlight in the upper levels -warmer water -more photosynthetic organisms |
| Winter and Water Density | Water is most dense at 4C and becomes less dense as it cools -water on top will be coldest in the winter -densest water is found at the bottom -low levels of sunlight decrease photosynthesis, resulting in low levels of oxygen |
| Spring and Fall Turnover | Layers of the water become mixed as temperatures cool or warm, distributing oxygen. Also causes waves that increase the surface area as well as stir the water |
| Summer an Water Density | Layers form due to density, with water at 4C being at the bottom. When water becomes warmer it looses its ability to hold dissolved oxygen |
| Biotic Potential | The maximum number of offspring that a species could produce with unlimited resources |
| Birth Potential | the maximum number of offspring per birth |
| Capacity for Survival | the number of offspring that reach sexual maturity |
| Breeding Frequency | The number of times that a species breed per year |
| Length of reproductive life | the age of sexual maturity and the number of yars an individual can reproduce |
| Limiting Factors | Any resource that is in short supply is a limiting factor on a population -food -water -territiry -presence of pollutants/toxic chemicals |
| Carrying Capacity | The maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported over time in an ecosystem. -determined by the availability of resources |
| Law of minimum | States that the nutrient in the least supply is the one that limits growth |
| Law of Tolerance | States that an organism can survive within a particular range of abiotic factors. The greater the range of tolerance, the more likely an organism is to survive |
| Density Independent Factor | A factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population regardless of population density -fire, flood |
| Density Dependent Factor | A factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population because of population density -food supply, disease |
| Biomes | A large geographical region with a specific range of temperatures and precipitation, and the organisms that are adapted to theses conditions. |
| Terrestrial Ecosystems | Ecosystems that are found anywhere on Earth that are not covered by water. In Alberta, the two major biomes are Taiga and grassland |
| Aquatic Ecosystems | Are found in ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans. In Alberta, the major aquatic ecosystems are freshwater systems (lakes) |
| Deforestation | -Slash and Burn: the complete clearing of a forest by felling and burning trees -Clear cutting: the removal of all trees in an area -Selective Cutting: The harvesting of only certain trees from an area |
| Negative Effects of Deforestation | -Soil erosion and runoff into streams increases -Nitrates and other nutrients are carried into streams and ponds, increasing algae growth -Loss of habitat -Replanting can take 80-90 years before trees are big enough to harvest. |
| Fire | An important and often useful cause of change in an ecosystem |
| Effects of Fire | -Creates and maintains a variety of different vegetation types -Essential in the germination of certain seeds -allows for new growth in an old growth forest |
| Oligotrophic lakes | deep, cold and low in nutrient levels |
| Eutrophic Lakes | generally shallow, warmer and high in nutrient levels |
| Eutrophication | The evolution form an oligotrophic lake to an eutrophic lake |
| water pollution | -human wastes -Fertilizers -Household/industrial products -thermal energy (heated water) Water pollution is any physical or chemical change in surface/ground water that can harm living things |
| Biological Oxygen Demand | A measure of the amount of oxygen needed by decomposers to break down organic matter in a sample of water at 20C |
| Watershed | The land that drains water towards a lake or other body of water |
| Litter | Upper layer of soil, composed mainly of partially decomposed leaves and grasses. Acts like a blanket, insulating temperature and preventing water loss |
| Top soil | The soil layer beneath the litter, composed of small rocks mixed with humus. Contains a rich supply of nutrients and other materials needed for plant growth |
| Humus | Decaying plant or animal material. Usually black |
| Subsoil | The soil layer beneath the topsoil, usually containing more rock particles and less organic matter than the top soil. Usually lighter in colour due to lack of humus. Can contain relativly large amounts of minerals such as iron, aluminum and phosphorus |
| Bed Rock | The layer beneath the soil, composed of rock. Marks the edn of the soil |
| pH of Soil | The pH of soil is determined by the rock from which the soil originated and the plants that grow in it. Humans contribute to a higher level of acidity by burning fossil fuels. The pH of the soil determines which plants will grow best |
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faithcwh
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