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SAT II Biology Ecology
practice for SAT II biology ecology
41
Biology
12th Grade
10/03/2012

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Term
population
Definition
a group of individuals of the same species that interbreed and share a common gene pool.
Term
Species
Definition
comprised of different populations, separate populations of the same species can interbreed
Term
exponential population growth
Definition
happens when good things are unlimited and bad things are nonexistent
Term
carrying capacity
Definition
when a population stops growing, i.e. when the birth & death rates are equal
Term
Niche
Definition
the lifestyle of a population, e.g. types of food eaten, preferred temperature, etc.
Term
community
Definition
a collection of interacting populations
Term
Competition
Definition
happens when populations overlap in a niche. Eventually stops through either takeover by one species or by both slightly changing their niches
Term
Predation
Definition
when one organism feeds on another. population sizes of predators and prey are synced.
Term
symbiosis
Definition
a close and intimate relationship between two different species
Term
Mutualism
Definition
symbiosis where both species benefit from the relationship
Term
Commensalism
Definition
symbiosis where one species benefits and the other does not suffer but does not benefit
Term
Parasitism
Definition
symbiosis where one species benefits and the other suffers
Term
ecological succession
Definition
gradual change of the species composition in a community. earlier settlers change conditions so new species can arrive. Final species to arrive is called climax community.
Term
ecosystem
Definition
the sum of all the communities and abiotic factors in a specific area, includes different species that fill specific roles, involves energy flow, and includes abiotic factors that are cycled between organisms and the environment in nutrient cycles.
Term
abiotic factors
Definition
light, heat, oxygen, carbon, and so on.
Term
producers
Definition
take light from the sun and turn it into nutrients
Term
consumers
Definition
eat other species for energy
Term
decomposers
Definition
feed off of waste or dead matter
Term
trophic level
Definition
each level in a food chain
Term
Primary consumers
Definition
feed on plants
Term
Secondary consumers
Definition
feed on primary consumers
Term
Tertiary consumers
Definition
feed on secondary consumers
Term
transfer of energy
Definition
occurs between trophic levels, only about 10% of energy is transferred up
Term
water cycle
Definition
rain falling drops water to the ground, where it is then absorbed, drunk, or drained into bodies of water. It then evaporates and returns to the atmosphere.
Term
carbon cycle
Definition
Plants absorb carbon dioxide, or CO2, from the air and turn it into nutrients and plant tissues through the process of photosynthesis.
Animals eat the plants and use the carbon to make their own tissues.
Waste products in animal respiration release CO2 back into the air.
When animals die, their decaying bodies release carbon into the environment.
Term
The Nitrogen Cycle
Definition
Bacteria in the soil and roots of certain plants fix nitrogen from the environment
Plants take the nitrates and ammonium in the environment and turn them into plant tissues.
Animals eat the plants and use the nitrogenous compounds to make their own tissues.
Decaying animal and plant tissues release ammonia (NH3). Ammonia is also released into the environment as a waste product of animal digestion.
Nitrifying bacteria break down ammonia into the nitrates that plants can use
Denitrifying bacteria break down ammonia into N2 that is released into the air.
Term
The Phosphorus Cycle
Definition
Most phosphate (PO43-) makes its way from rocks into the soil through erosion.
From the soil, phosphate makes its way to lakes and rivers and eventually, into oceans.
plants uptake nutrients from the soil and use phosphorus for things like energy storage
Animals "drink" water or eat plants, and thereby ingest phosphorus so that they can make lipids, DNA, RNA, and ATP.
Through waste removal and decomposition, phosphorus re-enters the soil.
Term
Biomes
Definition
major types of ecosystems that differ from one another largely by the types of dominant vegetation each contains.
Term
Tundra
Definition
an arctic/high mountain ecosystem consisting of of a cold, wet environment with frozen soil, only a few plants and animals live here
Term
Boreal Forest
Definition
in low elevations on temperate zone mountains, characterized by long winters and short summers, contain evergreen forests and few animals
Term
Temperate deciduous forest
Definition
exists in Eastern North America, Eastern Asia, and parts of Western Europe, pronounced seasons with lots of rain, contains deciduous plant species and lots of animals
Term
temperate grassland
Definition
exist throughout the world, relatively dry with hot summers and cold winters, plant life includes diverse perennial grass species, sedges, and forbs.
Term
desert
Definition
exist throughout the world, very dry, lots of rodents and reptiles
Term
rainforest
Definition
primarily in central and south America, hot, lots of rain, impoverished soil, very diverse plants & animals
Term
four zones of the ocean
Definition
ittoral zone, or coastal zones.
Benthic zone, or the ocean floor where light still penetrates.
Pelagic zone, or the column of water above the ocean floor.
Abyssal zone, or the ocean floor below the depth of sunlight penetration.
Term
Biodiversity/biological diversity
Definition
collection and distribution of all the genes, species, and ecosystems in a given area
Term
global diversity gradient
Definition
biodiversity increases from the poles toward the Equator
Term
altitudinal gradient
Definition
As altitude increases, biodiversity decreases.
Term
Ecosystem services
Definition
natural processes that produce good stuff for consumption or use by people
Term
Conservation biology
Definition
the study of biodiversity and how to preserve it
Term
species-area relationship
Definition
area size & species number are positively correlated
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