Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Gullett-Bio-Ecology
Bio-Unit 2-Ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ecology | the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment |
| ecosystem | the community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
| community | a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
| biotic | describes living factors in the environment |
| abiotic | describes nonliving factors in the environment |
| ecological niche | all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce in an ecosystem |
| biomass | total dry mass of all organisms in a given area |
| herbivore | an organism that eats only plants |
| carnivore | an organism that eats animals |
| omnivore | an organism that eats a variety of other organisms, including animals and plants |
| detritivore | organism that eats dead organic mater |
| decomposer | an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from organic matter; examples include bacteria and fungi |
| trophic level | one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples include produces and primary, secondary, and teriary consumers |
| food chain | the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
| food web | a diagram that shows the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem |
| biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem |
| keystone species | a species that is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives because it affects the survival and abundance of many other species in its community |
| autotroph | an organism that produces its own nutriens from inorganic susbstances or from the environment instead of consuming other organisms |
| heterotroph | an organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their byproducts and that cannot synthesize organic compounds from inorganic materials |
| energy pyramid | triangular diagarm that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy, which results as energy passed through the ecosystem's food chain; each row represents a trophic leel in an ecosystem, and the area of a row represents the energy stored in that trophic level |
| ecological equivalent | organisms that share a similar niche but live in different geographical regions |
| competition | ecological relationship in which two organisms attempt to obtain the same resource |
| symbiosis | a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other |
| mutualism | a relationship between two species in which both species benefit |
| commensalism | a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and ther is unaffected |
| population density | measure of individuals living in a defined area |
| exponential growth | logarithmic growth, or growth by which numbers increase by a certain factor in each successive time period; described by a J-shaped curve |
| logistic growth | population growth that starts with a minimum number of individuals and reaches a maximum depending on carrying capacity of the region; described by an S-shaped curve |
| carrying capacity | the largest population that an environment can support at any given time |
| limiting factor | environmental factor that limits the growth and size of a population |
| density-dependent limiting factor | environmental resistance that affects a population that has become overly crowded |
| density-independent limiting factor | environmental resistance that affects a population regardless of population density |
| habitat fragmentation | process by which part of an organism's preferred habitat range becomes inaccessible |
| introduced species | species that is not native and was brought to an area as a result of human activities |
| competitive exclusion | the exclusion of one species by another due to competition |
| biosphere | all organisms and the part of Earth where they exist |
| biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem |
| species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above subspecies |
Created by:
lpgullett
Popular Biology sets