Chapter 6 vocab cards Flashcards
Habitat
The place an organism lives.
Tolerance
Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce under circumstances that differ from their optimal conditions.
Niche
Full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions.
Resource
Any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space.
Competitive exclusion principle
Principle that states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
Keystone Species
Single species that is not usually abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on the structure of a community.
Symbiosys
Relationship in which two species live close together.
Commensalism
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Mutualism
Symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship.
Parasitism
Relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it.
Ecological Succession
A series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance.
Primary Succession
Succession that occurs in an area in which no trace of a previous community is present.
Pioneer Species
The first species to populate an area during succession.
Secondary Succession
A type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances.
Biodiversity
The total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere; also called biological diversity.
