Ecology Flashcards
The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Ecology
A community of living organisms and their non-living environment interacting as a system.
Ecosystem
The ability to maintain resources or systems over the long term.
Sustainable
The variety of life forms within an ecosystem, biome, or planet.
Biodiversity
Non-living physical or chemical elements.
Abiotic
Living things
Biotic
A close and long-term biological interaction between two different species.
Symbiosis
An organism that hunts and eats other organisms for food.
Predator
Competition between different species for the same resources.
Interaspecific competition
An organism that is hunted and eaten by predators.
Prey
Competition within the same species for resources.
Intraspecific competition
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.
Population
Rapid population increase under ideal environmental conditions.
Exponential Growth
A factor that limits the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population in an ecosystem.
Limiting Factors
Environmental factors that affect populations regardless of their density (e.g., weather).
Density-independant factor
Factors that impact a population based on its size (e.g., food availability, disease).
Density-dependant factor
The maximum population size an environment can support sustainably.
Carrying Capacity
The role and position an organism has in its environment.
Ecological Niche
Using resources in a way that meets present needs without compromising future availability.
Sustainable Use
The ability of an ecosystem to recover after disturbances.
Resilience
An organism that eats only plants.
Herbivore
An organism that eats only meat.
Carnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Omnivore
The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy using carbon dioxide and water.
Photosynthesis
The process by which cells break down glucose to produce energy.
Cellular Respiration
A step in the food chain or ecological pyramid, representing energy flow.
Trophic level
An organism that creates its own food through photosynthesis (e.g., plants).
Producer
An organism that eats other organisms for energy.
Consumer
An organism that eats producers (e.g., herbivores).
Primary consumer
An organism that eats primary consumers.
Secondary consumer
Quaternary consumer
Teratary conumer
An organism that breaks down dead matter into simpler substances (e.g., fungi, bacteria).
Decomposer
A linear sequence of organisms through which energy flows.
Food chain
A complex network of interlinked food chains.
Food web
A large area characterized by specific climate, plants, and animals (ex: Rainforest)
Biome
converting nitrogen gas into a usable form for plants.
Nitrogen fixation
The conversion of ammonia into nitrates by bacteria.
Nitrification
The conversion of nitrates back into nitrogen gas by bacteria.
Dentirfication
An organism that produces its own food.
Autotroph
An organism that relies on consuming other organisms for energy.
Hetatroph
The process of incorporating nutrients into the body of an organism.
Assimilation
A non-native species that spreads rapidly and disrupts ecosystems.
Invasive Species
Bioaccumilation
The buildup of toxins in an organism over time.
The increase in toxin concentration as it moves up the food chain.
Biomagnifcation
Temporary environmental factors that disrupt ecosystems (e.g., storms, droughts).
Short-term stressors
Persistent environmental pressures that affect ecosystems (e.g., climate change).
Long-term stressors
The cycles of matter and nutrients through ecosystems (e.g., carbon, nitrogen cycles).
Biochemical cycles
A typical example or pattern of something
Paradigm
change in approach or underlying assumptions.
Paradigm shift
