2.1-2.3 Flashcards
ecosystem
a community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they interact with. Made up of biotic and abiotic components
biotic factors
a living organism that shapes its environment
abiotic factors
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
autotrophs
the plants that convert energy into matter
heterotrophs
organisms that cannot produce food by themselves
decomposers
organisms that breakdown waste into components parts for reuse
species
a group of organisms with common characteristics that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
populations
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time
habitat
the natural environment in which a species lives
niche
the role an organism plays and the position it holds in the environment
j-curve
population that grows exponentially and then suddenly collapses
s-curve
associated with exponential growth but above a certain size, the growth rates shows down gradually, finally transforming into a population of constant
parasitism
when an organism (parasite) takes nutrients from another organism (the host)
mutualism
where two organisms of different species exist in a mutually beneficial relationship
competition
where organisms compete for a resource that is in limited supply
trophic level
the position an organism occupies in the food chain
food chain
a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another
food webs
several interconnected food chains so it is a complex mass of lines
bioaccumulation
the increase in concentration of a pollutant in an organism as it absorbs or ingests it from its environment
biomagnification
the increase in concentration of the pollutant as it moves up through the food chain
albedo
the reflectivity of a surface
biomass
the mass of living organisms in a given area; expressed as the dry weight of mass per unit of area
productivity
the conversion of energy into biomass in a given time
gross
refers to the total amount of products made
net
what is left after losses
sustainable yield
the amount of biomass that can be extracted without reducing the natural capital of the ecosystem
