Ch. 3 Vocab Flashcards
A population or group of populations whose members share characteristics and can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring.
Species
A group of individuals of a species that live in the same area.
Population
Means change over time
Evolution
Traits that enhance survival and reproduction
and are passed on more frequently to future generations than those that do not.
Natural Selection
The process where, over time, characteristics lead to better reproductive success and become more prevalent in the population.
Adaptation
Accidental changes in DNA that may be passed on to the next generation.
Mutation
The process of selection conducted under human direction.
Artificial Selection
The variety of life across all levels of biological organization
Biological Diversity
Shows relationships among species, groups, genes, etc.; Scientists can trace how certain traits evolved
Phylogenetic trees
An imprint in stone of a dead organism
Fossil
The cumulative body of fossils worldwide
Fossil Record
The disappearance of a species from Earth
Extinction
A species only exists in a certain, specialized area
Endemic species
The total living things on Earth
Biosphere
Interacting species living in the same area
Community
Communities and the nonliving material and forces they interact with
Ecosystem
The environment where an organism lives
It includes living and nonliving elements
Habitat
An organism’s use of resources along with its functional role in a community, habitat use, food selection, role in energy and nutrient flow, interactions with other individuals
Niche
Have narrow niches and specific needs, extremely good at what they do, but vulnerable when conditions change
Specialists
Species with broad niches that use a wide array of habitats and resources and can live in many different places
Generalists
The likelihood of death varies with age
Survivorship curves
Arrival of individuals from outside the population
Immigration
Departure of individuals from the population
Emigration
A population increases by a fixed percent and graphed as a J-shaped curve
Exponential Growth
Physical, chemical and biological attributes of the environment that restrain population growth
Limiting Factors
The maximum population size of a species that its environment can sustain
Carrying capacity
An S-shaped graph
logistic growth curve
Limiting factors whose influence is affected by population density
Density-dependent factors
Limiting factors whose influence is not affected by population density
Density-independent factors
Species with long gestation periods and few offspring
K-selected species
species which reproduce quickly
Have a high biotic potential
Little parental care, populations fluctuate greatly
R-selected species
tourists visit protected areas
Ecotourism
