Ecology Flashcards
The study of how all living & non-living parts
of an environment interact
Ecology
A community of living organisms
together with their physical environment
Ecosystems
living things and their interactions (plants, animals, predation,competition, symbiosis)
Biotic factors
non-living factors
(light, temperature, wind, oxygen, water & soil)
Abiotic factors
The ability to continue or maintain under pressure
Sustainability
An ecosystem that can withstand pressure & support organisms
Sustainable ecosystem
Large natural regions with similar
climate and plant life (ex. Rainforest, desert)
Biomes
A state of balance with no net change over time
Equilibrium
The size of a population that
can be supported indefinitely by the resources
in a given ecosystem
Carrying Capacity
factors that limit the growth
or distribution of a population
(food availability, disease, habitat quality)
help to keep a population at equilibrium
Limiting Factors
the impact does
not depend on the size of the population
These are usually abiotic factors
Ex. floods, fire, cold, pollution
Density- independent factors
the impact does
depend on the size of the population
These are typically biotic factors
Ex. disease, predation, competition
Density-dependant factors
A species “place” or “role” in an ecosystem
Includes the habitat it occupies, resources it
uses, the abiotic factors that it can survive
within, & its biotic interactions
Ex. Pitcher plants grow in wet boggy areas &
consume insects
Ecological Niche
