Exam 1 Terms Flashcards
What is a food web?
all species are connected via energy passing from one to another
What is an ecological footprint?
The theoretical space on Earth required to sustain someone
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life on Earth
What is the biological definition of a species?
Members are of the same species if they can interbreed and produce viable and fertile offspring
What is carrying capacity?
Denoted as k, it is the theoretical limit of a population size
What is natural selection?
The non-random process by which traits become more or less common as a result of differential reproduction
What is speciation?
An evolutionary process by which new biological species arise
What is a sub-species?
A geographically distinct population of a species with recognizable differences from each other
What is a gene?
DNA segments coded for a protein
What is a chromosome?
A threadlike structure of DNA molecules
What is genetic diversity?
The # of alleles within a population of species?
What is species diversity?
It is measured in species richness (# of species) and species evenness (common or rare in relation)
What is species abundance?
Total # of individuals per species
What is ecosystem diversity?
The variety of different habitats in an ecosystem
What is evolutionary potential?
The likelihood that some individuals of a population can adapt to changing environmental conditions
