Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms PDF

Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms Key Term Definition Image Biotic Living things, or come from living thing Non-living Ex (Temperature,Humidity, Abiotic Precipitation, Water Availability, Soil...

Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms Key Term Definition Image Biotic Living things, or come from living thing Non-living Ex (Temperature,Humidity, Abiotic Precipitation, Water Availability, Soil Type A BIOME is a place where an organism lives. There are millions of different species of plants and animals living in a Biome variety of different places on Earth. Examples: Caves, Tundra, Forests, Oceans, and Deserts Atmosphere Layers of gasses surrounding the earth Biosphere Things that are living, were alive a short time ago. or derived from living organisms.  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms Hydrosphere Any form of water Lithosphere Earth’s crust A collection of biotic and abiotic factors that supports life is called an ECOSYSTEM Ecosystems are complex. Ecologists use many different terms to describe the many different parts of an ecosystem. Individual : one type living Ecosystem organism Population : Many of one type organism Community : Many different types of living things A ecosystem is community of organism and all there abiotic factors Biome = many ecosystems  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms Form and maintain a complex web of life Keystone Keystone species either control the population of other species in an species ecosystem or modify that ecosystem. An organism that cannot Consumer produce its own food and must eat other plants and/or animals to get energy. Producers are organisms that can make their food, such as Producer trees, shrubs, grass, algae, lichen, seaweed, and some bacteria. Shows how energy is transferred from one organism to another Ecological Pyramid bottoms shows the producers Pyramid Pyramid top shows the top carnivores or top predators Competition is most typically considered the Competitio interaction of individuals n that vie for a common resource that is in limited supply, Are there any biotic or abiotic Limiting factors that keep the size of a population from growing Factors beyond a certain size.  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms food web, a complex network of interconnecting and overlapping food chains Food web showing feeding relationships within a community. A food Food chain chain shows how matter and energy from food are transferred from one organism to another Organism the simplest level of organization in ecology. Any given ecosystem can only provide so much light, water, space, etc. That means the population can only get so big Carrying before these resources run out. The maximum size of a Capacity population that can be continuously supported is called the CARRYING CAPACITY ABIOTIC FACTORS flow through ecosystems, giving organisms the energy they need to live. Biogeochemical We modeled this with CYCLES. cycles Organisms also need NUTRIENTS to build the  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms molecules inside their bodies (such as proteins) These nutrients are cycled through the environment, moving through different parts of the Earth *The carbon The carbon cycle describes the process cycle in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere.  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms *The Nitrogen cycle The nitrogen cycle is how nitrogen moves through the different spheres Eutrophication is the process in which a Eutrophicat water body becomes overly enriched with ion nutrients, leading to the plentiful growth of simple plant life. Invasive species typically out-compete natural predators, Invasive or do not face the same threats as they do in their home Species ecosystems. This means their populations can grow out of control, upsetting the natural,  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms sustainable equilibrium in the ecosystem they’ve invaded. Primary succession needs a pioneer species ( like lichen ) When pioneer species like lichen their material is absorbed into the rock turning it into soil through decaying. Primary This process can take hundreds of years for the ecosystem to Succession become balanced and achieve equilibrium. The formation of a new ecosystem via primary succession Disruptions like fires or floods can upset a community, causing different plants and animals to move in. Over time, the original species return. Secondary Secondary succession is the natural process of change that happens when an area Succession is cleared but the soil remains. Pioneer species help start the recovery by bringing life back to the area. Takes less time than Primary succession. 50-200 years. A species is often defined as a group of individuals that actually or potentially Species interbreed in nature. In this sense, a species is the biggest gene pool possible under natural conditions.  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms Sustainabili ty The ability of something to last Parasitism One organism benefits, the other is harmed. Mutualism Both organisms benefit. Predation One organism hunts and kills another for food. Commensa lism One organism benefits, the other is unaffected. is an organism that breaks down dead plants and Decompos animals, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. er Examples include fungi and bacteria.  Sustainable Ecosystem Key Terms refers to the ideal conditions, such as temperature, light, or Optimum other environmental factors, Range where an organism or process functions most effectively. refers to the variety of life forms in a particular habitat or on Earth, including different Biodiversity species, ecosystems, and genetic variations.