Biosphere: the global sum of all ecosystems, aka zone of life, terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric Terrestrial Biomes:

Characterized by climate (temp. & rainfall), eight of them Weather vs Climate: conditions at a specific time and place vs long term weather patterns Weather varies in different parts of the earth because of the uneven heating of the surface Heating is most intense where sun is directly overhead (changes w/ season) . Earths axis is tilted so not the same place all the time (summer most directly hit, winter least directly)

Aquatic Biomes: Marine/Ocean, Estuarine, Freshwater Intertidal Zone: aka the seashore, above water a low tide, below at high, organisms in this zone adapted to harsh conditions Pelagic Zone: Any water not near the shore or seafloor, life in pelagic decreases with depth Benthic Zone: region at the lowest level of a body of water, seafloor Aphotic Zone: aquatic region where there is little to no sunlight Photic Zone: area where there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur Shallow Marine Waters: Area between shore and beginning of reef wall Kelp Forest: high density of kelp, found in temperate and polar coastal regions, highly productive and diverse, overfishing of organisms that eat herbivores can lead to overpopulated herbivores destroying kelp forests Coral Reef: Structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals, rainforests of the seavery diverse, commonly found in shallow depths of tropical waters Estuaries: where rivers meet the sea, water more salinated than fresh but less than seawater, banks of estuaries heavily populated, high light penetration Susceptible to degradationdeforestation can lead to loss of soil nutrients

Eutrophication: Runoff from agricultural or livestock land can contain nutrients that lead to excessive algal growth (blooms, etc) Dead Zone: low oxygen zones caused by excessive nutrient pollution, life cannot survive here, mostly near inhabited coastlines (like the Gulf of Mexico) Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone: 8,800 sq miles, estimated nutrient loading expected to increase 1018% from Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Algal Blooms: rapid increase in algae population, can release toxins, leads to large scale reduction of biodiversity Freshwater Regions: lakes, wetlands, rivers and streams Levels of Biological Organization: Population: interacting group of individuals from one species Community: all organisms in an ecosystem Ecosystem: all living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of a particular area Energy Flow in Ecosystems: energy enters as sunlight and is transferred to plants and animals, energy changes form (glucose, ATP, heat) Transfer of chemicals and energy: occurs through food chains (feeding levelstrophic) Energy supply limits length of food chain Food webs show how organisms are connected by multiple paths Food chain example: Producer/Plants (Trophic Level 1), Herbivore/Insect/Primary Consumer (Trophic Level 2), Carnivore/Rodent/Secondary Consumer (Trophic Level 3), Top Carnivore/Bird/Tertiary Consumer (Trophic Level 4) Keystone Species: has a disproportionately large effect on an ecosystem relative to its abundance. Example: small predator keeping herbivores in check. If they are removed, herbivores thrive and eat too much plant material in an ecosystem. Detritivores/Decomposers: eat detritus (animal waste, dead organisms) Micro Decomposers: Bacteria, fungi Macro Decomposers: earthworms, millipedes

Niche: Biological Role of an organism Nutrient Cycling: movement of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter Nitrogen Cycle: process by which Nitrogen is converted between its various forms Nitrogen Fixation: atmospheric nitrogen converted to ammonia Human effects: releasing nitrogen into the environment (sewage treatment, fertilizers) can lead to dead zones Phosphorus Cycle: Takes place almost exclusively in the soil Human effects: similar to nitrogen but also large-scale animal operations Sulfur Cycle: Similar to other cycles Human effects: Acid rain Carbon Cycle: Greenhouse Effect: thermal radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-radiated in all directions (including back down to planets surface) which leads to increased surface temp Human activity main source of greenhouse gases (deforestation, transportation emissions, industry fossil fuels) Carbon Dioxide is of most concern because of its abundance Effects of Climate Change: Loss of habitats Shrinking sea ice (40% loss in 30 years) Increasing invasive species Forced migration Shift northward in species distribution U.S. Population: 311,591, 917 World Population: 6,973, 738, 433