AP Environmental Science Chapter 3

Ernst Haekel

A 19th century scientists who developed the concept of ecology

Ecology

The study of systems that include interactions among organisms and between organisms and the environment

Biotic V. Abiotic

The _______ parts of an environment include the living parts whereas the ________ parts of the environment include the non-living parts of the environment

Species

A group of similar organmisms whose memebers freely interbreed with one another in the wild to produce fertile offspring

Population

A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time

Community

A natural association that consists of all the populatgions of different species that live and interact within an area at the same time

Ecosystem

A community and its physical environment

Landscape

A region that includes several interacting ecosystems

Biosphere

The parts of Earth's atmosphere, ocean and land surface and soil that contain all living organisms

Atmosphere

The gaseous envelope surrounding Earth

Hydrosphere

The Earth's supply of water; liquid or frozen

Lithosphere

The soil and rock of Earth's surface

Energy

The capacity or ability to do work

Chemical Energy

This is a type of energy stored in the bonds of molecules

Radiant Energy

This type of energy includes radio waves, visible light, and X-Rays that is transmitted as electromagnetic waves

Solar Energy

The radiant energy that comes from the sun; it includes UV radiation, visible light, and infared radiation

Thermodynamcis

The study of energy ands its transformations

1st Law of Thermodynamics

This law states that: "energy cannot be created or destroyed, though it can change from one form to another.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

This law states that: "when energy is converted from one form to another, some of it is degraded into heat, a less useable form that disperses into the environment.

Entropy

A measure of the disorder of less useable energy...Ex. A high entropy is disorganized heat and low entropy is organized heat

The Chemical Sequence of Photosynthesis

6CO2 + 12H2O + radiant energy ---> C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

Chemical Sequence of Cellular Respiration

C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O --> 6CO2 + 12H2O + energy

Energy Flow

The passage of energy in a one way direction through an ecosystem

Trophic Level

An organism's position in a food chain, which is determined by its feeding relationships

Food Web

A representation of the interlockign food chains that connect all organisms in an ecosystem

Pyramid of Numbers

Show the number of organisms at each trophic level in a given ecosystem, with greaer numbers illustrated by a larger area for the section of that pyramid

Pyramid of Biomass

Illustrates the total biomass at each successive trophic level

Pyramid of Energy

Illustrates the energy content of bionass at each trophic level. (Expressed as Kilocalories per square meter per year)

Gross Primary Porductivity (GPP)

The total amount of photosynthetic energy that plants capture and assimilate in a given period

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Productivity after respiration losses are subtracted

Peter Vitousek

In 1986, this man calculated how much of the global NPP is appropriated for the human economy and are therefore not transferred to other organisms

Stuart Rojstaczer

In 2001, this man calculated and found that 32% of the global NPP is appropriated for the human economy

K. Heinz Erb

In 2007, he found that humans account for 25% of the global land based NPP for food, forage (for livestock), and wood