2.1 - 2.2 Terms and Definitions Flashcards
Term
Definition
Abiotic Factor
A non-living component of an ecosystem, such as temperature, sunlight, water, or soil composition.
Bioaccumulation
The gradual buildup of substances, like pollutants, in an organism’s tissues over its lifetime.
Biomagnification
The increasing concentration of substances, like pollutants, in organisms at higher trophic levels of a food chain.
Biosphere
The zone of life on Earth, encompassing all ecosystems and living organisms.
Biotic Factor
A living organism that influences another organism in an ecosystem, including competition, predation, parasitism, and mutualism.
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size of a species that a particular environment can sustainably support, given the available resources.
Clade
A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.
Cladogram
A branching diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among organisms based on shared characteristics.
Community
All the interacting populations of different species that live in a common area.
Competition
An interaction between organisms or species where they vie for the same limited resources, such as food, water, or territory.
Density-Dependent Factor
A factor, often biotic, that influences population growth in proportion to the population’s density, such as disease transmission or competition.
Density-Independent Factor
A factor, often abiotic, that affects population growth regardless of population density, such as natural disasters or climate change.
Ecological Niche
The specific role and set of conditions a species occupies within an ecosystem, encompassing its interactions with other organisms and the environment.
Ecosystem
A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, functioning as a unit.
Ecosystem Stability
The ability of an ecosystem to resist and recover from disturbances, maintaining its structure and function over time.
Exponential Growth (J-Curve)
A pattern of population growth characterized by rapid, unrestricted increase, often seen in populations with abundant resources.
Fundamental Niche
The theoretical range of environmental conditions and resources a species could occupy without competition.
Interspecific Competition
Competition for resources between members of different species.
Intraspecific Competition
Competition for resources among individuals of the same species.
Keystone Species
A species that plays a disproportionately large role in maintaining the structure and function of an ecosystem.
K-Strategist
Organisms adapted to stable environments, characterized by slower reproduction, longer lifespans, and greater investment in offspring.
Limiting Factor
An environmental resource or condition that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population.
Logistic Growth (S-Curve)
A pattern of population growth where the rate of increase slows as the population approaches carrying capacity, resulting in a stabilized population size.
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)
The maximum amount of a resource that can be harvested sustainably over time, without depleting the resource or harming the ecosystem.
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship between two species where both benefit from the interaction.
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of another organism (host).
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area.
Population Density
The number of individuals per unit area.
Predation
An interaction where one organism (predator) kills and consumes another organism (prey).
R-Strategist
Organisms adapted to unstable or unpredictable environments, characterized by rapid reproduction, short lifespans, and numerous offspring.
Realized Niche
The actual range of environmental conditions and resources a species occupies, often smaller than its fundamental niche due to competition.
Survivorship Curve
A graph that shows the proportion of individuals surviving at different age ranges within a population, providing insights into life history strategies.
Trophic Level
A position in a food chain or food web, representing a group of organisms that share a similar feeding relationship.
