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energy flow
- flow of energy ecosystem -> organism -> organism
- all organisms get food, are food for ecosystem
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biomass
total mass of living things in given area
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ecological pyramids
- pyramids of biomass, numbers energy
- more energy = more organisms; less energy = less organisms
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food chain
models that show flow of energy from plant to animal and animal to animal
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food pyramid
- show loss of energy from one trophic level to another
- each level's energy decreases by 90%
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trophic level
each step in food chain
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biodegration
the action of living organisms, such as bacteria, to break down organic matter
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decomposition
the breaking down of organic wastes and dead organisms
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decomposers
change waste and dead organisms into usable nutrients
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primary consumers
- consume primary producers
- second trophic level
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primary producers
- "produce" food such as converting energy from sun into carbs
- first trophic level
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secondary consumers
consume primary consumers
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tertiary consumers
- top consumers
- consume secondary consumers
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food webs
models of the feeding relationships within an ecosystem
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nutrients
- chemicals needed for animal and plant growth and life processes
- most important: carbon, water, phosphorus, nitrogen, hydrogen
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stores
- where nutrients are accumulated for long or short periods of time
- atmosphere, oceans, land masses, soil
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nutrient cycles
- flow of nutrients in and out of stores
- human activities increase nutrients faster than natural processes move them back into stores ->affects life on earth
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importance of carbon cycle
- all living things are made of carbon
- cellular respiration, when cells convert carbs into CO2, H2O and energy
- photosynthesis CO2 + H20 -> sugar + O2
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importance of nitrogen cycle
- component of DNA and proteins
- muscle functions and growth
- plants
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importance of phosphurous cycle
- needed for molecule that carries energy
- bones
- root development
- stem, seed production
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human activities carbon cycle
increase greenhouse gas
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human activities nitrogen
increased (fertilization, burning) -> leaching and washing -> acid precipatation +eutrophication
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leaching
substance dissolve in water and removed from soil
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eutrophication
- excess nutrients = increased plant production and decay
- removes oxygen from lakes with algae blooms
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human activities phosphorous
increased fertilizer and detergent -> kill species (fish death)
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human activities
alter biotic and abiotic conditions nessecary for biodiversity
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bioaccumulation
- gradual build-up of chemicals in living things
- affects immune, nervous, reproductive systems, birth malformations
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keystone species
greatly affect population and health
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biomagnification
- chemicals more concentrated in higher trophic levels
- PBCs synthetic material caused harm to orcas
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persistant organic pollutants
- takes many years to filter out
- heavy metals, carbon-containing
- insecticides (DDT!)
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heavy metals
- high density, toxic at low levels
- lead - anemia, nervous, sterility, imparied mental, kidney fail
- cadmium - plants uptake, fish, earthworms, animals, us
- mercury - bioaccu. in heart, kidney, immune, nervous, smoking
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bioremediation
use of living organisms to do natural clean-up through biodegration
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