earth systems Flashcards
System
a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.
Feedback
information about reactions to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.
Model
to construct or fashion in imitation of a particular model modeled its constitution on that of the U.S. 2a : to shape or fashion in a plastic material modeling figures from clay.
Biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous parts of other planets) occupied by living organisms.
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Biome
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.
Organism
an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
Population
the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region.
Biotic Factor
A biotic factor is a living organism that shapes its environment.
Abiotic Factor
Description. Biotic and abiotic factors are what make up ecosystems.
Community
a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other.
Habitat
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
Niche
a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.
Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Keystone Species
In a marine ecosystem, or any type of ecosystem, a keystone species is an organism that helps hold the system together.
exponential growth
growth whose rate becomes ever more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size.
logistic growth
Logistic growth is population increase that happens in a manner that starts slowly, as there are few individuals, then increases in speed as numbers increase, but then decreases to a halt as numbers get high enough that resources are depleted and cannot support further growth.
carrying capacity
the number or quantity of people or things that can be conveyed or held by a vehicle or container.
density dependent
A density-dependent factor is a factor whose effects on the size or growth of a population vary with the population density.
density independent
Density independent factors, in ecology, refer to any influences on a population’s birth or death rates, regardless of the population density.
population density
Population density is the concentration of individuals within a species in a specific geographic locale.
emigration
the act of leaving one’s own country to settle permanently in another; moving abroad.
disturbance
the interruption of a settled and peaceful condition.
Resilience
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
Resistance
the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.
Ecological Succession
the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time.
