2.1 species and populations Flashcards
1
Q
limiting factors
A
- resources in the environment that limit the growth, abundance and distribution of organisms/populations in an ecosystem
2
Q
carrying capacity
A
- maximum number of species a habitat can sustainably support in a given area
3
Q
ecosystem
A
- community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they interact with
- made up of biotic and abiotic components
4
Q
biotic components
A
- anything living
producers
- plants converting energy to matter
consumers
- animals that eat plants or other animals
decomposers
- organisms that breakdown waste into component parts to reuse
Interactions
- between living components
- predation, herbivory, parasitism, mutualism, disease, competition
5
Q
species
A
- group of organisms with common characteristics
- can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
6
Q
population
A
- group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time
7
Q
population size
A
births and immigration - increase
deaths and emigration - decrease
8
Q
abiotic components
A
- non living things
temperature
sunlight
water
pH
salinity
precipitation
9
Q
habitat
A
- environment in which a species usually lives
10
Q
niche
A
- role an organism plays and the position it holds in the environment
- includes all interactions with biotic and abiotic factors
11
Q
fundamental niche
A
- tolerance range for abiotic factors in their environment
12
Q
realized niche
A
- part of the fundamental niche the species actually occupies
- usually defined by competition
13
Q
limiting factors
density dependent
A
- impact the population only when it reaches a certain density
- competition, disease, parasitism, predation
14
Q
limiting factors
density independent
A
- control populations regardless of density
- sunlight, temperature, water, natural disasters
15
Q
J shaped curve
A
- exponential population growth
- ideal conditions, resources, limited competition
- population continues to grow until all resources have been used
- typical of r strategists
