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Ecosystem:
All the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment
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Sustainable ecosystem
an ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to a variety of organisms
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biotic
the living parts of an ecosystem
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aboitic
the non-living parts of an ecosystem
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lithosphere
the hard part of the earth's surface
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hydrosphere
all the water found on earth, including lakes, oceans, and ground water
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atmosphere
the layer of gases above earths surface
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biosphere
the regions of earth where living organisms exist
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nutrients
a chemical that is essential to living things and is cycled through ecosystems
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eutrophication
a process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase, leading to an increase in the populations of primary producers
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photosynthesis
- a process that changes solar energy into chemical energy
- light energy
- 6 CO2 + 6 H2O -------------> C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2
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trophic level
a category of organisms that is defined by how the organisms gain their energy
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biomass
the total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area
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trophic efficiency
a measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level
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bioaccumulation
a process in which an organism ingests materials, especially toxins, faster than it eliminates them
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biomagnification
a process in which the concentration of ingested toxins increases as it moves from one trophic level to the next
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cellular respiration
a process that releases energy from organic molecules, especially carbohydrates, in the presence of oxygen
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fermentation
a process that releases energy from organic molecules, especially carbohydrates, in the absence of oxygen
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greenhouse gases
an atmospheric gas that prevents heat from leaving the atmosphere, thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere
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greenhouse effect
the warming of earth as a result of greenhouse gases, which trap some energy, that would otherwise leave earth
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acid precipitation
rain, snow, or fog that is unnaturally acidic, due to gases in the atmosphere that react with water to form acids
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