Unit B: Ecosystems and Population Change Flashcards
Ecology
the study of interactions between organisms and their living and non-living environment
Abiotic Factor
a non-living factor that influences an organism
Biotic Factor
a living factor that influences an organism
Ecotone
a transition area between ecosystems
Artificial Ecosystem
an ecosystem that is planned or maintained by humans
Natural Ecosystem
an ecosystem in which the interactions are not changed purposely by human actions
Ecological Niche
an organisms role in an ecosystem, consisting of its place in the food web, its habitat, its breeding area, and the time of day at which it is most active
Biome
a large geographical region with a specific range of temperatures and precipitation, and the organisms that are adapted to those conditions of temperature and precipitation
Permafrost
permanently frozen soil
Muskeg
soil above the permafrost that is swampy or boggy in the summer
Littoral Zone
the area from the shore of a lake or pond to the point where no more plants grow in the bottom of the lake
Limnetic Zone
the area of a lake or pond in which there is open water and sufficient light for photosynthesis to occur
Profundal Zone
the region of a lake or pond beneath the limnetic zone, in which that is insufficient light for photosynthesis to occur
Biotic Potential
the maximum number of offspring that a species could produce with unlimited resources
Carrying Capacity
the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported by an ecosystem
Oligotrophic
having low nutrient levels
Eutrophic
having high nutrient levels
Watershed
the land that drains toward a lake or other body of water
Taxonomy
the science of classification according to the inferred (presumed) relationships among organisms
Genus
the first part of a binomial name; a genus includes several species
Species
a group of organisms that look alike and can interbreed under natural conditions to produce fertile offspring
Taxa
categories used to classify organisms
Biogeography
the study of the geographic distribution of life on Earth
Endemic
a term used to describe a species that is only found in one location
Homologous Features
features with similar structures but different functions
Analogous
features that are similar in appearance and function, but do not appear to have the same evolutionary origin
Vestigial Features
rudimentary structures with no useful function
DNA
the molecule that makes up genetic material
Gene
a segment of DNA that performs a specific function
Artificial Selection
the process of humans selecting and breeding individuals with the desired traits
Spontaneous Generation
the belief that living things arose from non-living matter
Natural Selection
the result of differential reproductive success of individuals caused by variations in their inherited traits
Mutation
a change in the DNA sequence in a chromosome
Neutral Mutation
a mutation that has no effect on the organism
Harmful Mutation
a mutation that reduces an organisms fitness
Fitness
an organisms reproductive success
Beneficial Mutation
a mutation that enhances an organism’s fitness
Asexual Reproduction
the production of an offspring from a single parent; offspring inherit the genes of that parent only
Sexual Reproduction
the production of offspring by the union of sex cells from two different parents; the offspring inherit a combination of genes from both parents
Speciation
the formation of a new species
Allopatric Speciation
the formation of a new species (speciation) by reproductive isolation
Gradualism (theory)
the idea that the formation of a new species (speciation) takes place slowly
Punctuated Equilibrium (theory)
the idea that species evolve rapidly, followed by a period of little or no change
Divergent Evolution
evolution into many different species
Population
a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same habitat or ecosystem at the same time
Community
all the organisms of various species that share a habitat or ecosystem
Ecosystem
a community and its physical and chemical environment
