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AP Environment Chapter 2 Flashcards

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7478983523Law of ToleranceA species' livelihood is determined by the levels of 1 of more physical or chemical factors falling within the range tolerated by that species0
7478999057Limiting factorsRegulates survival, growth or reproduction1
7479069033Ecologyis a study of connections in nature2
7479083055OrganismsThe different forms of life on earth3
7479087979SpeciesA group of living organism consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding4
7479104282Populationis a group of interacting individual of the same species occupying a specific area5
7479113471Communitiespopulations of different species living and interacting in a given area6
7479122236EcosystemA community of different species interacting with one another and with their non-living environment of matter and energy7
7479132174Abioticnon-living components8
7479134401Bioticliving components9
7479142880AtmosphereTroposphere and stratosphere10
7479144475Hydrosphereall Earth's water11
7479145928GeosphereEarth itself12
7479148222Biospherewhere the living things are13
7479153919LithosphereCrust and mantle14
7479155542Crustthin silicate zone, a few miles thick15
7479159231MantleLargest zone, high in iron, silicon, oxygen and magnesium16
7479164000CoreInnermost zone, mostly iron. Solid inner surrounded by molten material17
7556736387Trophic levelrepresents its place in the food chain18
7556776036PhotosynthesisSolar radiation is captured by chlorophyll and other pigments Carbon dioxide + water + solar energy in glucose and oxygen 6CO2 = 6H2O + solar energy -> C6H12O6 +6O219
7556810712Aerobic Respirationorganic molecules are used for an energy source glucose and oxygen breaks down into carbon dioxide, water and energy C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy20
7556835592Primary Consumers(Herbivores) feed directly on producers21
7556839488Secondary Consumers(Carnivores) Feed on primary consumers22
7556845099Tertiary ConsumersFeed on carnivores and omnivores23
7556915471BiomassDry weight of all organic matter contained in organisms. Usable energy is transferred as biomass24
7556943445Biomass pyramidShow the biomass available at every level and can look like an energy pyramid25
7556951310Terrestrial Biomass Pyramid26
7556955429Aquatic Biomass Pyramid27
7608266229Food webShows a more complex flow of energy in a system. Energy flows linearly in direction of arrow.28
7608274420Energy PyramidAs energy flows through trophic levels there is a conversion of usable energy to heat (2nd law of thermodynamics)29
7608287872Ecological Efficiencydescribes the efficiency with which energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.30
7608305775Gross Primary productivityThe rate at which an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass31
7608305776Net Primary Productivity (NNP)rate at which energy for use by consumers is stored in new biomass (plant growth)32
7694799384Natural SelectionA natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment. Is not the growing of adaptation but rather the organisms are not eaten pass their genes on to the next generation.33
7694846047Mutationsa random error in gene replication that leads to a change34
7694971438CoevolutionProcess by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other35
7695035710hybridizationoccurs when individuals to two distinct species crossbreed to produce an fertile offspring.36
7744019833stratosphere12 to 50 km, Ozone held here, absorbs UV radiation37
7744032778tropospherethe lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs38
7744106532Sulfur cycle39
7744111272Nitrogen Cycle40
7744116016Phosphorous cycle41
7744121677Water cycle42
7744127868Carbon cycle43
7770716852Artificial selectionis the intentional reproduction of individuals in a population that have desirable traits.44
7770728419Selective Breedingis the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant males and females will sexually reproduce and have offspring together.45
7770746077SpeciationA new species can arise when member of a population becomes isolated for a long period of time.46
7770766106Geographic IsolationIsolation between populations due to physical barriers47
7893728067PlanktonImportant group of weakly swimming free-floating biota48
7893767691NectonFish, turtles and whales49
7893776207BenthosBottom dwellers50
7893782068Decomposersbreakdown organic compounds (mostly bacteria)51
7893792726Euphotic Zone(upper layer in deep water habitats): sunlight can penetrate.52
7893806148Coastal Zoneis the interface between the land and water.53
7893816324bathypelagic zonebelow the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above and the abyssopelagic below.54
7893873090mesopelagic zoneis that part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 200 to 1000 metres (~660 to 3300 feet) below the ocean surface.55
7893883492abyssopelagic zonethis zone remains in perpetual darkness and never receives daylight.56
7905063748Intertidal Zonearea of shoreline between low and high tides.57
7905079750Standing (lentic) watersuch as lakes, ponds, and inland wetlands.58
7905086098Flowing (lotic) systemssuch as streams and rivers.59
7905118396Littoral Zone(Near shore, Shallow, with rooted plants)60
7905139070Limnetic zone(open, offshore area, sunlit)61
7905141287Profundal zone(deep, open water, too dark for photosynthesis)62
7905200630Benthic zone(bottom of lake, nourished by dead matter)63
7929819336Oligotrophic(poorly nourished) lake: Usually newly formed lake with small supply of plant nutrient input.64
7929819337Eutrophic(well nourished) lake: Over time, sediment, organic material, and inorganic nutrients wash into lakes causing excessive plant growth.65
7929824356Cultural eutrophicationHuman inputs of nutrients from the atmosphere and urban and agricultural areas can accelerate the eutrophication process.66
7929829997Species diversitythe number of different species it contains (species richness) combined with the abundance of individuals within each of those species (species evenness).67
7929831270Species richnessThe number of different species in a community68
7929832785Species evennessrelative abundance of each species69
7929834093Niche structurehow many potential ecological niches occur, how they resemble or differ, and how the species occupying different niches interact.70
7929836828Geographic locationspecies diversity is highest in the tropics and declines as we move from the equator toward the poles.71
7929839490Indicator speciesSpecies that serve as early warnings of damage to a community or an ecosystem.72
7929839491Keystone speciesA species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem73
7929845448Resource PartitioningThe differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community74
7929848036Niche specializationNiches become separated to avoid competition for resources75
7929850915Carbon sinkA feature of the biosphere that removes and stores large amounts of atmospheric carbon76
7929855917Ecological successionthe gradual change in species composition of a given area77
7929856562Primary successionthe gradual establishment of biotic communities in lifeless areas where there is no soil or sediment.78
7929859137Secondary successionseries of communities develop in places containing soil or sediment.79

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