Biosphere Vocab
dynamic equilibrium
a state of balance between continuing processes
Where might you find chemosynthetic organisms?
Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps
The pyramid of energy must always be _____
Upright
This environmental phenomenon occurs when excess phosphorus from human activities like agriculture enters water systems, leading to rapid growth of aquatic plant life.
algal bloom
Where does the arrow point in a food chain diagram?
Towards where the energy is being received
heterotroph
an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances
Only 5-20% of the energy transferred from one trophic level goes into the next. Meaning that only 10% of the energy obtained by one organism is transferred.
What is the rule of 10?
List the 4 pyramids
Ecological, numbers, biomass, and energy
This protective layer in Earth's stratosphere absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation but has been depleted by chemicals like CFCs.
ozone layer
Fill in the blank: Body system, _______, _______, _______, Ecosystem, Biosphere
Species, population, community
the study of the relations between heat, work, temperature, and energy
1st law thermodynamics
Calcium carbonate crystals
What molecules form when carbon combines with sea water and calcium?
What is the Rule of 10?
Only 10% of the energy obtained by one organism is available to the consumer who eats that organism
Humans produce these gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which contribute to the greenhouse effect and climate change.
greenhouse gases
What defines an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of organisms and their physical environment interacting together. Defined by its ability to cycle abiotic and biotic components and has the potential to be sustainable over long periods of time.
a natural process where substances are dissolved and removed from a solid by a solution, usually water, which is later extracted or deposited
leaching
Describe what occurs to the carbon cycling process?
photosynthesis, fire, the burning of fossil fuels, weathering, and volcanism
What is biomagnification?
The buildup of substances in the bodies of organisms at higher trophic levels of the food webs
This process involves the large-scale removal of forests, often for agriculture, logging, or urban development, and significantly impacts the carbon cycle and biodiversity.
deforestation
What’s the first law of thermodynamics?
The total energy of the system is constant, even if energy has been converted from one form to another
Denitrification
the loss or removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds
What gases are known as greenhouse gases? Give 2 examples
H20, Chlorofluorocarbon, Hydrofluorocarbon, Sulfur hexafluoride
What is the pyramid of numbers?
Shows the number of organisms at each trophic level within an ecosystem, but does not account for size of individual organisms
Natural processes like decomposition and human activities such as deforestation influence these essential systems that regulate energy transfer and nutrient cycling in the biosphere.
Energy flows and matter cycles
What’s the relationship between decomposers and producers?
Decomposers break down the remains and other wastes and release simple inorganic molecules back to the environment. Producers can then use the molecules to make new organic compounds.