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39 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
93. Ecosystem |
A particular location on Earth distinguished by its particular mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components |
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94. Producers / autotrophs |
Plants, algae, and other organisms that use the sun's energy to produce useable forms of energy |
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95. Photosynthesis |
Producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and form a potential energy |
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96. Cellular respiration |
A process that unlocks the chemical energy stored in the cells of organisms |
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97. Consumer / heterotrophs |
Incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain their energy by consuming other organisms |
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98. Primary consumers |
heterotrophs that consume producers such as zebras |
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99. Secondary consumers |
Carnivores that eat primary consumers such as lions or Hawks |
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100. Tertiary consumers |
Carnivores that eat secondary consumers such as Eagles and algae |
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101. Trophic levels |
Successive levels of organisms consuming one another |
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102. Food chain |
The sequence of consumption of producers through tertiary consumers |
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103. Food web |
An account of the complexity of nature, that all species in ecosystem are connected to one another |
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104. Scavengers |
Are carnivores such as Walters that consume dead animals |
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105. Detritivores |
Organisms such as dung beetles that specialize in breaking down dead tissue and waste products the smaller particles |
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106. Decomposers |
The fungi and bacteria that come delete the breakdown process by recycling the nutrients from dead tissue and waste back into the ecosystem such as worms |
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107. Gross primary productivity GPP |
The total amount of solar energy that the producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time |
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108. Net primary productivity NPP |
The energy captured minus the energy respired by producers |
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109. Biomass |
The total mass of all living matter in a specific area |
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110. Standing crop |
The amount of biomass presented in an ecosystem at a particular time |
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110. Ecological efficiency |
The portion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another |
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111. Trophic pyramid |
The distribution of biomass among trophic levels |
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112. Biosphere |
The region of our plants where life resides |
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113. Biogeochemical cycles |
The movement of matter within and between ecosystems involve biological geological and chemical processes |
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114. Hydrologic cycle |
The movement of water through the biosphere |
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115. Transpiration |
Solar energy also provides the energy for photosynthesis during which plants release water from the leaves into the atmosphere |
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116. Evapotanspiration |
The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration |
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117. Run off |
Extra water |
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118. Macronutrients |
Six key elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sulfur |
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119. Limited nutrient |
A lack of nutrient such as nitrogen |
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120. Nitrogen fixation |
The first step in the nitrogen cycle |
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121. Leaching |
Nitrate is readily transported through the soil with water |
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122. Disturbance |
An event caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents that results in changes in population size or community composition |
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123. Watershed |
All of the land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland |
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124. Resistance |
How much a disturbance can affect the flows of energy and matter |
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125. Resilience |
The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance |
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126. Restoration ecology |
Restoring damaged ecosystems |
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127. Intermediate disturbance hypothesis |
States that ecosystems experienced intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels |
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128. Instrumental value |
Worth as an instrument or tool that can be used to accomplish a goal |
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129. Intrinsic value |
It has worth independent of any benefit it may provide to humans |
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130. Provisions |
Goods that humans can use directly such as lumber or food crops |