Unit 4, Ecology Flashcards
The study of how all living & non-living parts
of an environment interact
Ecology
A community of living organisms
together with their physical environment, may be large (oceans, rainforests)
or small (tidal pools, a single tree)
Ecosystems
living things and their interactions (plants, animals, predation,competition, symbiosis)
Biotic factors
non-living factors (light, temperature, wind, oxygen, water & soil)
Abiotic factors
The ability to continue or maintain under pressure
Sustainability
An ecosystem that can withstand pressure & support organisms
Sustainable ecosystem
Large natural regions with similar climate and plant life (ex. Rainforest, desert)
Biomes
a reproducing group of organisms of one species living in an area. They may increase, decrease or remain constant
Population
A state of balance with no net change over time
Equilibrium
The size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by the resources in a given ecosystem
Carrying Capacity
factors that limit the growth or distribution of a population (food availability, disease, habitat quality) (Can be density dependant or
density independent)
Limiting Factors
the impact does not depend on the size of the population. These are usually abiotic factors. Ex. floods, fire, cold, pollution
Density- independent factors
the impact does depend on the size of the population. These are typically biotic factors. Ex. disease, predation, competition
Density-dependant factors
A species “place” or “role” in an ecosystem.
Includes the habitat it occupies, resources it
uses, the abiotic factors that it can survive
within, & its biotic interactions. Ex. Pitcher plants grow in wet boggy areas & consume insects
Ecological Niche
Substances that living things need
to carry out their life processes. Can be stored in organisms, oceans, land and the atmosphere and can also flow through these different
biotic and abiotic components
Nutrients
