| A | B |
|---|
| eutrophication | a phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients, usually from agricultural runoff |
| abiotic factors | nonliving |
| biotic factors | living |
| ecosystem | abiotic and biotic factors of an area interacting together |
| ecosystem service | the process by which a natural environment provides a life supporting resource or good |
| DDT | A bioaccumulating pesticide that is known to cause eggshell thinning in eagles; banned ; discussed in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring |
| D.O. | dissolved oxygen, decreases when streams are polluted |
| B.O.D. | biological oxygen demand; a measure of the amount of oxygen used by organisms in a water sample over a 5 day period. High BOD=polluted |
| photosynthesis equation | CO2 + H2O --- C6H12O6 + O2 |
| cell respiration | exact opposite of photosynthesis; C6H12O6 + O2 ---- CO2 + H2O |
| trophic pyramid | a representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, and energy among trophic levels |
| trophic level | levels in the feeding structure of organisms. |
| scavenger | a canrivore that consumes dead animals |
| detritivore | an organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products nto smaller pieces |
| decomposer | fungi or bacteria that recycle nutrients from dead tissues and wastes back into an ecosystem |
| GPP (gross primary productivity) | the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time |
| NPP (net primary productivity) | the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire (photosynthesis rate - respiration rate) |
| biomass | the total mass of all living matter in a specific area |
| standing crop | the amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a given time |
| ecological efficiency | the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another |
| hydrologic cycle | water cycle |
| transpiration | the release of water from leaves during photosynthesis |
| macronutrients | the six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts; nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur |
| limiting nutrient | a nutrient needed for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients |
| nitrogen fixation | converting nitrogen gas into usable form of nitrogen |
| assimilation | when organisms absorb nitrogen for building own proteins |
| ammonification | when decomposers break down biological nitrogen compounds (like proteins) into ammonium |
| nitrification | when bacteria convert ammonium into nitrite and nitrate (usable forms) |
| denitrification | when special bacteria in oxygen depleted soil /water convert nitrate into nitrogen gas |
| leaching | when nutrients and other substances are transported through the soil |
| hypoxic | without oxygen |
| algal bloom | excessive growth of algae due to eutrophication |
| environmental resistance | a measure of how much a disturbance can affect an ecosystem (usually in terms of energy flow) |
| resilience | the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance. Highly resilient = returns to original state rapidly |
| instrumental values | thought of in terms of how much economic benefit a species bestows |
| intrinsic value | it has worth independent of any benefit it may provide to humans |
| bioaccumulation | An increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time. |
| biomagnification | An increased concentration of a chemical as it moves through a food chain |
