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Ecology Terms

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Ecology Terms

Cycles
- Water Cycle
  - Definition: the series of processes that cycle water through the biotic and abiotic environment
    - Diagram of the Water Cycle
- Carbon Cycle
  - Definition: the series of processes in which carbon is cycled through the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and the biosphere
    - Diagram of the Carbon Cycle
- Nitrogen Cycle
  - Definition: the series of processes in which nitrogen compounds are moved through the biotic and abiotic environment
    - Diagram of the Nitrogen Cycle
- Biogeochemical Cycle
  - Definition: the movement of matter through the biotic and abiotic environment
- Cellular Respiration
  - Definition: the process by which sugar and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide and water to provide energy for the cell
    - Diagram of Cellular Respiration
- Photosynthesis
  - Definition: the process in which the suns energy is converted into chemical energy
    - Diagram of Photosynthesis
Spheres
- Atmosphere
  - Definition: layer of gases surrounding Earth
    - Atmosphere
- Lithosphere
  - Definition: Earth's solid outer layer
    - LIthosphere
- Biosphere
  - Definition: zone around Earth where life can exist
    - Biosphere
- Hydrosphere
  - Definition: all of the Earth's water
    - Hydrosphere
Types of Energy
- Light Energy
  - Definition: visible forms of radiant energy
    - Examples~ camp fire, light bulbs
- Radiant Energy
  - Definition: energy that travels through empty spaces
    - Examples ~ Boiling Water, Heating Units, X-rays, Campfires, Lighting Fixtures, Electricity, Cellphones, Sun etc.
- Thermal Energy
  - Definition: the form of energy that transferred during heating and cooling
    - Examples~ coals burning, igniting gasoline, nuclear reaction
Showing the Levels of Organisms
- Food Chain
  - Definition: a sequence of organisms each feeding on the next, showing how energy is transferred from one organism to another
    - Diagram of a Food Chain
- Food Web
  - Definition: a representation of the feeding relationships within a community
    - Diagram of a Food Web
- Tropic Level
  - Definition: the level of an organism in an ecosystem depending on its feeding position along the food chain
- Ecological Pyramid
  - Definition: a representation of energy, numbers or biomass relationships in an ecosystem
  - Diagram of the Ecological Pyramid
Ecosystems
- Definition: living organisms and their physical and chemical environment
  - Examples~ Terrestrial, Aquatic
- Sustainable
  - Definition: an ecosystem that is maintained through natural processes
    - Examples~ oceans, forests, deserts etc.
- Sustainability
  - Definition: the ability to maintain an ecological balance
    - Examples~ city parks, indoor soccer fields, zoo etc. (an ecosystem that is artificial)
- Parts
  - Abiotic
    - Definition: non-living components of an ecosystem
      - Examples~ air, water, rocks, light, temperature etc.
    - Tolerance Range
      - Definition: the abiotic conditions within which a species can survive
        Examples~ amount of precipation, temperature levels, green space, types of plants, different animal species
  - Biotic
    - Definition: living components of an ecosystem
      - Examples~ animals (lions, frogs, dogs etc.), bacteria, plants (trees, flowers, bushes etc.) and more
- Biome
  - Definition: a large geographical region defined by climate (precipitation & temperature with a specific set of biotic and abiotic factors
    - Examples~ Tundra, Tropical Forest, Desert, Taiga, Marine/Freshwater
Living Organisms and Species within an Ecosystem
- Carrying Capacity
  - Definition: the maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain
    - Examples~ humans on earth (4 million), plants taking over landspace within an ecosytem, too many of one animal that is killing off all their preys
  - Limiting Factor
    - Definition: any factor that restricts the size of a population
      - Examples~ amount of; sunlight, landspace, tempeture range, water etc.
- Ecological Niche
  - Definition: the function a species serves in it's ecosystem including what it eats, what eats it and behaviour
    - Examples~ Black Bear, feeds on; tender plant parts (nuts and berries), Insects and other small animals.. eat them; mainly human hunters.. behaviour; hibernation during winter, carry seeds "supplements" long distances
- Biomass
  - Definition: the mass of living organisms in a given area
    - Examples~ 30 cows to 2 acres, stock density= 15000 lbs/acre
- Consumers
  - Definition: an organism that obtains it's energy from consuming other organisms
    - Example~ hawks eat lizards, pigs eat apples, snakes eat rats, humans eat meat
- Producers
  - Definition: an organism that makes it's own energy-rich food compounds using the suns energy
    - Examples~ trees, plants, berries
Types of Relationships
- Mutualism
  - Definition: an association between 2 different species in which both benefit from the association
    - Example~ bee and pollen, dog and owner
- Commensalism
  - Definition: one organism benefits with no benefit or harm to the other
    - Example~ algae grows on a turtle
- Parasitism
  - Definition: one organism benefits at the expense of the host
    - Example~ tapeworms in the intestines of many animals, fleas and dogs, mosqitoes, tics/lice
- Predation
  - Definition: one species consumes another species
    - Example~ lion and a gazelle, lynx and a snow hare
Biodiversity
- Definition: variety of life within an ecosytem
  - Examples~ rainforest (varierty of tropical plants and animals)
- Equilibrium
  - Definition: balance within an ecosytem
    - Example~ predator-prey, too many of one predator could make the prey extinct.. the ecosystem has to be balanced to keep both species alive "snakes and rats"
- Extinction
  - Definition: animals dying off and not being able to come back
    - Examples~ do do bird, dinosours
- Bioaccumulation
  - Definition: accumulation of toxins inside a species
    - Example~ mercury in dolphins
- Bioamplification
  - Definition: the increase in concentration of a substance, as it moves higher up the food web
    - Diagram of Bioamplification
Bodies of water
- Oligotrophic
  - Definition: a body of water that is low in nutrients
    - Diagram of an Oligotrophic Ecosystem
- Eutrophic
  - Definition: a body of water that is rich in nutrients
    - Diagram of a Eutrophic Ecosystem
- Watershed
  - Definition: the land area drained by a particular river, also called a drainage basin