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