APES semester 1 exam review

ecology

the study of living things

environmental science

the study of how we interact with our environment

positive feedback

situation in which change in certain direction provides info that causes system to change further in same direction (giving birth)

negative feedback loop

change in certain direction that provides system to change in less in that direction (ac)

homeostasis

maintenance of favorable internal conditions

synergy

result when two people work together to accomplish a task

70/percent of growth rate

equation for doubling time

(births+immigration) - (death+emigration)

growth rate formula

china and india

2 countries with largest populations

hunting and gathering nomads

1st agricultural communities

kinetic energy

energy that matter has because of its mass and speed or velocity (ex: heat)

potential energy

energy stored in an object because of the position or position of its parts (rock in hand)

1st law of thermodynamics

law that states "in all physical and chemical changes energy is neither created nor destroyed but may be converted to different forms of ea." (ex:nature)

1st law of thermodynamics

law that states "whenever energy is changed from 1 form to another they end up with less usable energy than at the start" (ex: using battery until its dead)

energy cycles, matter flows in one direction

dif between energy and matter

nitrogen cycle

nutrient cycle that has no atmospheric component

percolation

passage of a liquid through the spaces of a porous material such as soil

transpiration

water is absorbed by root systems of plants, moves up through plants, posses through pores and leaves or other parts, evaporated into the atmosphere as water vapor

water table

upper surface of zone of saturation, which all available pores in soil and rock in earth's crust are filled with water

cellular respiration

process used to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP then release waste

combustion

occurs when any organic material is reacted (burned) in the presence of oxygen to give off products of carbon dioxide and water

decomposition

process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter

nitrogen fixation

conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas into forms useful to plants by lightning, bacteria, etc-> part of nitrogen cycle

assimilation

absorption of nitrogen into plants and animals

nitrification

the oxidation of ammonium compounds in dead organic material into nitrates and nitrites by soil bacteria (making nitrogen available to plants)

ammonification

process in a nutrient cycle where decay breaks down dead organic matter to release ammonia (NH3) into the soil.

denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

linear growth

2,4,6,8,10

exponential growth

2,4,8,16,32,64

logistic growth

growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

commensalism

interaction between organisms of different species; 1 benefits while the other is neither hurt nor harmed

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

detritus feeder

Organism that extracts nutrients from fragments of dead organisms and their cast-off parts and organic wastes. Examples are earthworms, termites, and crabs.

macroevolution

large-scale evolutionary changes that take place over long periods of time

microevolution

evolution on the smallest scale�a generation-to-generation change in the frequencies of alleles within a population

coevolution

the process in which species exert selective pressure on each other and gradually evolve new features or behaviors as a result of those pressures("arms raid") ex: bats and moths

convergent evolution

process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments

gene pool

all of the alleles in all the individuals that make up a population

limnetic zone

In a lake, the well-lit, open surface waters farther from shore.

littoral zone

a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants

profundal zone

zone in a freshwater habitat that is below the limits of effective light penetration

benthic zone

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem; consists of sand and sediment and supports its own community of organisms

euphotic zone

Upper layer of a body of water through which sunlight can penetrate and support photosynthesis. (where phytoplankton carry out photosynthesis)

coastal zone

Warm, nutrient-rich, shallow part of the ocean that extends from the high-tide mark on land to the edge of a shelflike extension of continental land masses known as the continental shelf.

bathyl zone

(ocean) middle region with insufficient light for photosynthesis

abyssal zone

The portion of the ocean floor where light does not penetrate and where temperatures are cold and pressures intense.

eutrophic lakes

Lakes which are oxygen-poor and nutrient-rich, and have high amounts of organic matter

oligotrophic lakes

lakes with nutrient poor and oxygen rich, with low amounts of decomposing matter

savanna

an area of grassland with scattered trees and bushes

temperate grassland

biome characterized by deep, nutrient-rich soil that supports many grass species

temperate deciduous forest

forest in a temperate region, characterized by trees that drop their leaves annually

taiga

biome in which the winters are cold but summers are mild enough to allow the ground to thaw

chaparral

type of vegetation made up of dense forests of shrubs and short trees, common in mediterranean climates

endemic species

species native to or confined to a certain region

keystone species

a species whose impact on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than would be expected from mere abundance

generalist

a species with a broad niche that can tolerate a wide range of conditions and can use a variety of resources

specialist

a species with a narrow niche that can tolerate a narrow range of conditions and can use only a few specific resources

r-strategist

Species characterized by rapid growth, high fertility, short lifespan, and exponential population growth

k-strategist

species characterized by slow maturation, few young, slow population growth, and reproduction late in life

O-horizon

a soil layer that consists primarily of organic matter, which serves as a precursor for soil formation

A-Horizon

The Transition Zone also called top soil. Dark in color and has rich organic compounds.This area is disrupted by plows.

B-Horizon

subsoil horizon the rock has been weathered into fine grains, but no living things are present.

C-Horizon

horizon made of rock fragments on top of unweatered bedrock

chlorinated hydrocarbon

Organic compound made up of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. Examples are DDT and PCBs.

organophosphate

class of inexpensive pesticides that are extremely effective against a broad range of insects but are extremely toxic to agriculture workers

carbamate

toxic substance found in garden herbicides and fungicides, a salt (or ester) of carbamic acid

eutrophication

rapid growth of algae in bodies of water, due to high levels of nitrogen and often phosphate (depletes oxygen)

crust

the outer layer of the earth

lithosphere

the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

asthenosphere

The solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere; made of mantle rock that flows very slowly, which allows tectonic plates to move on top of it

mantle

thickest layer of the Earth, part liquid part solid where convection currents are found

outer core

a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth

inner core

a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of the earth

mineral

solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition

rock

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

igneous rock

produced by fire, great heat, or the action of a volcano; solidified from a molten state;is formed by the cooling and solidification of magma.

Metamorphic rock

A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions

Sedimentary rock

rocks fromed from sediment derived not only from rock fragments but also from plant and animal remains

sustainable yield

an amount of a renewable recourse that can be harvested regular with out reducing the future supply

J-Curve

a growth curve that depicts exponential growth

S-Curve

a curve that depicts logistic growth

gravity, flow of energy, cycling of water

what 3 things does life on earth need

net primary productivity

the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem

ocean

largest "Co2 sink

geographic isolation

form of reproductive isolation in which two populations are separated physically by geographic barriers such as rivers, mountains, or stretches of water

precipitation and temperature

determines climate

el nino

no upwelling, hot/extreme (w->e)

normal (not el nino)

upwelling productive (e->w)

microclimates

Local climatic conditions that differ from the general climate of a region

mimicry, chemicals, color

defensive strategies

primary succession

mostly rock

secondary succession

new join old

dependent

depend on how big or small a population is (ex: getting sick during school because being around others germs)

independent

doesn't need cause to have effect (human interaction, natural disasters)

replacement level fertility

total fertility rate needed for a population to remain constant

biomagnification

accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain

bioaccumulation

the build up of a substance (usually a toxin) as it passes through a food chain

demographic transition

change in a population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates

intercropping

Growing two or more different crops at the same time on a plot.

clean water act

set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways..aim to make surface waters swimmable and fishable

biological controls

use of natural predators, pathogens, or competitors to regulate pest populations

IPM

integrated pest management. the use of several different methods of control to reduce the p[population of a particular pest, minimizing the use of pesticides

monocultures

large areas of land with a single plant variety (very vulnerable)

rock cycle

sequence of events in which rocks are formed, destroyed, altered, and reformed by geological processes