Unit 7 Flashcards
Definition of Abiotic
physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.
Definition of Biotic
relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations.
Definition of Biodiversity
a variety of organisms in an ecosystem or biome
Definition of Climax community
a dominant community of plants and animals that come to live in an area
Definition of Ecological succession
the changing sequence of communities that live in an ecosystem during a given time period
Definition of Limiting factor
a condition or resource that keeps a population at a certain size
Definition of Microhabitat
a small or specialized habitat within a larger habitat
Definition of Pioneer species
first organisms to live in an area
Definition of Primary succession
a process that develops a biotic community in a previously
Definition of Secondary succession
a process started by an event that reduces an already established ecosystem to a smaller population of species
Definition of Sustainability
ability to maintain ecological processes over long periods of time; ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time
Definition of Biome
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.
Definition of Invasive Species
an introduced organism that negatively alters its new environment
