Unit 2 - Key Terms Flashcards
Species
a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Population
a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area, at the same time, and which are capable of interbreeding
Habitat
the location in which a community, species, population or organism lives
Niche
describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources upon which an organism or a population depends on
Biosphere
an ecological system composed of individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems
Ecosystem
an open system of interacting abiotic and biotic factors
Limiting Factors
environmental factors that slow down population growth
Keystone Species
species that are vital for the continuing function of an ecosystem: without them the ecosystem may collapse
Community
a collection of interacting populations within the ecosystem
Biome
Collections of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions
Biogeochemical Cycles
cycles such as the carbon and nitrogen cycle that ensure chemical elements continue to be available to loving organisms through the cycling of nutrients
Store
something that maintains a constant amount of a substance
Sink
something that takes in more of a substance than ir releases
Source
something that produces more of a substance than it takes in
Lithosphere
the solid rocky outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust, the outermost layer of the mantle, and soil
Nitrification
the conversion of NH3 gas to NO-3 ions
Dentrification
the conversion of NO-3 ions to N2 gas
Carbon Sequestration
natural capture and storage of CO2 from the atmosphere by physical or biological processes such as photosynthesis
Zonation
changes in the community along an environmental gradient
Succession
the replacement of one community by another in an area over time due to changes in biotic and abiotic variables
Primary Succession
succession occurring on a previously uncolonised substrate
Secondary Succession
occurs in places where a previous community has been destroyed
r-species
species that produce large numbers of offspring so they can colonise new habitats quickly and make use of short-lived resources
K-species
species that tend to produce a small number of offspring, which increases their survival rate and enables them to survive in long-term climax communities
Carrying Capacity
the maximum size of a population determined by competition for limited resources
