Ch. 8 Key Terms Flashcards
population
all the members of a species living in the same place at the same time.
density
the number of individuals per unit of area or volume
dispersion
the relative distribution or arrangement of its individuals within a given amount of space
growth rate
a change in the size of a population over a given period of time
reproductive potential
maximum number of offspring that each member can produce
exponential potential
growth in which numbers increase by a certain factor in each successive time period.
carrying capacity
maximum population that the ecosystem can support indefinitely
niche
the unique role of a species
competition
a relationship in which different individuals or populations attempt to use the same limited resource
predation
an interaction between two species in which one is the predator and one is the prey
parasitism
a relationship between two species in which one is the parasite and the other is the host the parasite usually harms the host
mutualism
a relationship between two species where both species benefit
commensalism
a relationship between two organism where one benefits and the other is unaffected
symbiosis
a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other
