-
Sustainable Ecosystem
- An ecosystem that can survive small changes in its environment and can last for a long time
- E.g. The amazon rainforest
-
Biotic
- A living or recently dead part of an ecosystem
- E.g. A dead tree
-
Abiotic
- Never living, usually refers to a part of an ecosystem
- E.g. A rock, water
-
Lithosphere
- The rocky part of the surface of the Earth
-
Hydrosphere
- the watery part of the surface of the earth
-
Atmosphere
- The very edge of the Earth, consists of gases floating around it
-
Biosphere
- The living part of the Earth
-
Nutrients
Minerals in an ecosystem necessary for the survival of the organisms in it
-
Eutrophication
- The introduction of more nutrients into an ecosystem, causing an increase in producers
- Usually occurs in aquatic ecosystems
-
Photosynthesis
- The process used by plants to obtain useful energy from the sun.
- CO2+H2O+light energy=Glucose and water
-
Trophic Level
- A distinct level of the food chain
- E.g. grass and trees are on the same trophic level
-
Biomass
The total mass of all biotic elements of a particular area
-
Trophic Efficiency
- The amount of energy that gets from one trophic level to another through consumption
- Never 100% because of energy used for life processes and creating heat
-
Bioaccumulation
- The buildup of toxins in an ecosystems faster than its removal
- E.g. monarch butterfly
-
Biomagnification
- The process in which the amount of a toxin in an organism increased through the trophic levels
- E.g. DDT and its accumulation in birds
-
Cellular Respiration
- The process used by all organisms to use energy produced through photosynthesis
- Glucose+O2=H2O+CO2
- Oxygen necessary for this to work
-
Fermentation
- The process used by bacteria and some fungi in producing energy in anaerobic environments
- Used in production of alcoholic beverages; creates methane
-
Greenhouse Gases
- Gases in the atmosphere that bounce solar energy back towards the Earth
- E.g. methane, CO2
- humans produce a lot
-
Greenhouse Effect
- the effect of greenhouse gases on the temperature of the earth(it goes up!)
- humans are major cause
-
Acid Precipitation
- Precipitation that falls between a pH of 3.6 and 5.6
- Typically SO2 or NOx
- Humans major cause
- negative impact on all forms of life esp. aquatic
|
|