Unit 2 Terms Flashcards
What is Bioaccumulation?
The biological sequestration of a toxin in the tissues of an individual organism
What is Biomagnification?
The process by which a toxin is passed from one trophic level to another (and thereby increases in concentration) within a food web
What is Redundancy?
The existence of a number of organisms that perform the same or similar functions in a given biological community
What is the Functional Redundancy Hypothesis?
A broad overlap in ecological roles of species allows a given community to compensate for a loss of some similar species
What is Resistance?
The ability of an ecosystem to withstand change
What is Resilience?
The ability for an ecosystem to recover after major changes
What is the Precautionary Principle?
When an activity may threaten human or environmental health, preventive measures should be taken until the risks and benefits of the activity are fully understood
What is Urbanization?
The process by which large numbers of people become permanently concentrated in relatively small areas, forming cities
What is the Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect?
The daytime absorption of sunshine (heat) by the built environment of a city, making the urbanized area warmer than its surrounding areas
What is Urban Ecology?
The study of how flora and fauna interact with each other, as well as the physical environment, in urban or urbanizing settings
What is a bio-indicating species?
Species that can be used as a measure of some aspects of an ecosystem’s health
What is the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH)?
Biodiversity will be highest at intermediate levels of disturbance
What is DDT?
A synthetic pesticide with hydrophobic and bioaccumlative properties
What is a City?
A large and densely populated urban area
What is a Generalist Species?
An organism that can live in a wide range of environments and utilize a broad spectrum of resources
