Ecology Grade 10
Terms
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- Biological Magnification
- the process whereby substances collect in the bodies of organisims in progressively higher concetrations towards the top of a food chain
- biomass
- the dry weight of a living thing, or a community
- biotic
- living part of an ecosystem
- abiotic
- non-living part of an ecosystem
- Carbon Cycle
- the flow of carbon through an ecosystem from the atmosphere to organisims and back to the atmosphere ; in aquatic ecosystems ; much Co2 is in soloution in the water
- carrying capacity
- the max. number of organisims in a population that can survive on resources available in an ecosystem
- cellular respiration
- the conversion of carbohydrates (sugars) by organisims into energy
- closed system
- an environment in which substances do not enter or leave. (e.g.) earth
- competition
- the struggle amongst individual organisims for access to a limited resource such as food or territory
- decomposers
- various bacteria and fungi that break down dead material and animal wastes and extract the remaining nutrients.
- denitrification
- the conversion of nitrates to form nitrogen gas
- denitrifying bacteria
- bacteria that can convert nitrates to form nitrogen gas
- density dependent factors
- variables that affect a population based on the degree of crowding within a population (e.g. disease, food supply)
- density independent factors
- variables that affect a population that are not based on the degree of crowding within a population (e.g. temperature, natural disasters.)
- eutrophication
- a water system that has been enriched by nutrients needed by plants; often nutrients from sewage and run-off-over enrich the water system causing an increase in bacterial growth and oxygen depletion.
- interspecific competition
- competion amongst individuals of different species
- nitrafication
- the conversion of ammonia to form nitrates
- nitrifying bacteria
- bacteria that can convert ammonia to nitrates
- nitrogen fixation
- the conversion of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to ammonia
- nitrogen fixing bacteria
- bacteria that convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to compounds that plants can use, such as ammonia
- nutrient cycle
- the path of an element (nutrient) through an ecosystem
- population density
- the number of individuals in a given area or volume
- rhizobium
- bacterium that lives in association with the roots of some legumes (pea family) and can fix nitrogen; nitrogen fixation
- explain the carbon cycle
- carbon is used up by plants, in the process of PHOTOSYNTHESIS, to make sugars. 2. some plants are eaten by other organisms ( herbivores ) which in turn are eaten by other hunters ( carnivores ). but no metter who eats who, plants, herbivores and carnivores will all die one day. their bodies are decomposed by decomposers, and some are converted into FOSSIL fuels, while some other are carried into the bottom of the oceans, where they form rocks. the fossils and the rocks come to the surface of the earth, where their Carbon is realeased either by combustion of fuels or by weathering of rocks. this carbon returns to the atmosphere. 3. also, all plants and animals, release carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere as a by product of CELLULAR RESPIRATIOn. so as you can see, all the carbon returns to the atmosphere, after a while, that's called a CYCLE ( carbon cycle )
- explain the nitrogen cycle
- The main component of the nitrogen cycle starts with the element nitrogen in the air. Two nitrogen oxides are found in the air as a result of interactions with oxygen. Nitrogen will only react with oxygen in the presence of high temperatures and pressures found near lightning bolts and in combustion reactions in power plants or internal combustion engines. Nitric oxide, NO, and nitrogen dioxide, NO2, are formed under these conditions. Eventually nitrogen dioxide may react with water in rain to form nitric acid, HNO3. The nitrates thus formed may be utilized by plants as a nutrient. Nitrogen in the air becomes a part of biological matter mostly through the actions of bacteria and algae in a process known as nitrogen fixation. Legume plants such as clover, alfalfa, and soybeans form nodules on the roots where nitrogen fixing bacteria take nitrogen from the air and convert it into ammonia, NH3. The ammonia is further converted by other bacteria first into nitrite ions, NO2-, and then into nitrate ions, NO3-. Plants utilize the nitrate ions as a nutrient or fertilizer for growth. Nitrogen is incorporate in many amino acids which are further reacted to make proteins. Ammonia is also made through a synthetic process called the Haber Process. Nitrogen and hydrogen are reacted under great pressure and temperature in the presence of a catalyst to make ammonia. Ammonia may be directly applied to farm fields as fertilizer. Ammonia may be further processed with oxygen to make nitric acid. The reaction of ammonia and nitric acid produces ammonium nitrate which may then be used as a fertilizer. Animal wastes when decomposed also return to the earth as nitrates. To complete the cycle other bacteria in the soil carry out a process known as denitrification which converts nitrates back to nitrogen gas. A side product of this reaction is the production of a gas known as nitrous oxide, N2O. Nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas" - mild anesthetic, is also a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming.
- write out the equation for cellular respiration
- C6H12O6 + O2 → CO2 + H2O + Energy
- write out the equation for photosynthesis
- CO2 + H2O + Energy(light) → C6H12O6 + O2