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Exam 3 prep
Energy in Ecosystems and Biochemical cycles
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecosystems | Communities of different species interacting with one another and with their non-living environment of soil, water, other forms of matter, and energy. |
| Biotic components | Living and once living components such as microorganisms, animals, plants, plant-like organisms, organic waste products, and dead/decaying matter. |
| Abiotic components | Non-living/physical components such as air, nutrients, water, soils, rocks, sediments, minerals, and the conditions due to interactions between these |
| Producers | Plants that provide energy for other organisms in an ecosystem |
| Autotrophs | Another name for producers, which need sunlight to make food. |
| Consumers | Everything else that consumes producers for energy, also known as heterotrophs. |
| Energy Flow | The transfer of energy from producers to consumers |
| Photosynthesis | The process by which almost all producers obtain energy from sunlight |
| Chemosynthesis | The process by which certain prokaryotes utilize chemicals in water to form carbohydrates without needing sunlight |
| Food Chain | A sequence that links species by feeding relationships |
| Herbivores | Consumers that only eat plants |
| Carnivores | Consumers that eat only meat, including insects |
| Omnivores | Consumers that eat both plants and animals, including insects |
| Detritivores | Consumers that eat detritus, or dead organic matter |
| Decomposers | Detritivores that break down organic matter into simpler compounds |
| Specialist | A consumer that primarily eats one specific organism or feeds on a very small number of organisms |
| Generalist | Consumers that have a varying diet |
| Giant Pandas | An example of a specialist consumer, as over 95% of their diet comes from bamboo |
| Raccoons | An example of a generalist consumer, they can live almost anywhere and eat almost anything |
| Trophic Level | A position in a food chain, a food web, or an ecological pyramid that is occupied by a group of organisms having a similar feeding mode. |
| Producers | Basis of all trophic levels. |
| Primary Consumers | Herbivores |
| Secondary Consumers | Carnivores that eat herbivores. |
| Tertiary Consumers | Carnivores that eat secondary consumers. |
| Omnivores | May be listed at different trophic levels in different food chains. |
| Food Web | A model that shows the complex network of feeding relationships and the flow of energy within and sometimes beyond an ecosystem. |
| Energy Flow in Food Webs | At each link in a food web, some energy is stored within an organism, and some energy is dissipated into the environment. |
| Stability of Food Webs | The stability of any food web depends on the presence of producers, as they form the base of the food web. |
| Energy Pyramid | Shows the distribution of energy among trophic levels. |
| Sunlight in Ecosystems | Sunlight provides the energy for photosynthesis, and that energy flows up the food chain. |
| Loss of Available Energy | The dissipation, or loss, of energy from one trophic level to the next may be as much as 90%. Only 10% of the available energy is left to transfer from one trophic level to the next. |
| Biomass | A measure of the total mass of organisms in a given area. |
| Energy Loss in Food Chains | Because energy is lost at each stage of a food chain, the longer the chain is, the more energy is lost overall. |
| Energy Used by Producers | The total energy used by producers far exceeds the energy used by the consumers they support |
| Biomass Pyramid | Diagram that compares the biomass of different trophic levels within an ecosystem. |
| Pyramid of Numbers | Shows the number of individual organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem. |
| Biogeochemical Cycle | Movement of elements among Earth's spheres. |
| Atmosphere | Layer of gases surrounding Earth. |
| Biosphere | Regions of Earth inhabited by living organisms. |
| Hydrosphere | All water bodies on Earth. |
| Lithosphere | Earth's solid outer layer, including land. |
| Carbon Cycle | Cycle of carbon through atmosphere and organisms. |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas. |
| Nitrogen Cycle | Cycle of nitrogen through atmosphere and soil. |
| N2 | Nitrogen gas, most abundant in atmosphere |
| Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria | Convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms. |
| NH3 | Ammonia, a nitrogen compound |
| NO3 | Nitrate, a form of nitrogen nutrient. |
| NO2 | Nitrite, an intermediate in nitrogen cycling. |
| Phosphorus Cycle | Cycle of phosphorus through Earth's systems. |
| Nitrogen Nutrients | Essential nitrogen compounds for plant growth. |
| Mineralized Carbon | Carbon in inorganic forms, like CO2. |
| Organic Carbon | Carbon found in living organisms. |
| Fossilized Carbon | Carbon stored in fossil fuels. |
| Aerobic Producers | Organisms that require oxygen for energy. |
| Nitrifying Bacteria | Convert ammonia into nitrates in soil. |
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