As we go up the food chain and increase trophic levels, the amount of energy available decreases by 10% each time

1. 10% energy

As we go up the food chain and increase trophic levels, the amount of energy available decreases by 10% each time. The rest of the energy is not destroyed, but dissipates into the air as heat.

2. trophic level

step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding status in an ecosystem.

3. biomagnification

accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain

4. carbon cycle

the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

5. nitrogen cycle

the transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere

6. nitrogen fixation

the assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria and its release for plant use on the death of the bacteria

7. eutrophication

rapid growth of algae in bodies of water, due to high levels of nitrogen and often phosphate

8. primary succession

an ecological succession that begins in a an area where no biotic community previously existed

9. secondary succession

succession on a site where an existing community has been disrupted

10. pioneer species

first species to populate an area during primary succession