Unit 3 Flashcards
Habitat
The place where an organism usually lives
Population
All the organisms of one species in a particular habitat
Community
All the populations of different species living in the same place at the same time
Ecological Niche
The role of an organism within its environment
This includes how it:
- Obtains energy
- Interacts with other species
- Interacts with its environment
Ecosystem
The combination of all the abiotic and biotic factors in a particular area
It is a self sustained system (mainly) so it only needs little energy or matter flowing in and out of it and no external energy source, this is because it functions due to photosynthesizing organisms.
Microhabitat
A small, localized habitat within a larger habitat
There can be several microhabitats in a single area.
Each microhabitat has different characteristics which give it its own microclimate
Ecoregion
A large area that has a distinct geography and contains a collection of organisms which are distinct from the area next to it.
Ecoregions differ based on their climate, geology, and the organisms that live there.
Carrying capacity
The maximum stable population size that can be maintained over a period of time in a habitat
Limiting factors that can influence carrying capacity
Biotic: Predation and Competition
Abiotic: Temperature, Light, pH, Water + Humidity and Area size
Population Size
The number of organisms from the same species in a habitat
Population Growth Rate
How quickly the size of a population changes over time
Population Growth Rate Equation
Change in population/Length of time
The stages of population size
- New population settles into an environment
- Birth and immigration exceeds death and emigration
- Density dependent factors slow population growth
- Population reaches carrying capacity
J Curve
There is a rapid increase in growth which is followed by a sudden drop
‘BOOM and then a bust’
Ectotherm
Organisms that cannot control their internal temperature
