Terms : Hide Images
| 384157653 | biosphere | all of the Earth inhabited by life. it is the sum of Earth's ecosystems | |
| 384157654 | biomes | major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions of land or water | |
| 384157655 | aquatic biomes | fresh water and marine water ex)streams, rivers, wetlands, oceans | |
| 384157656 | terrestrial biomes | distinguished by climate (temp and rainfall) and predominant vegetation | |
| 384157657 | biological community | group of interdependent organisms living and interacting with each other in the same habitat | |
| 384157658 | characteristics of biological community | species diversity, dominant species, response to disturbance, trophic structure | |
| 384157659 | species diversity | the variety of organisms that make up the community | |
| 384157660 | two components of species diversity | species richness and relative abundance | |
| 384157661 | species richness | total number of species in the community | |
| 384157662 | relative abundance | the proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community..ex)how common or rare a species is relative to other species in a community | |
| 384157663 | dominant species | species that predominates in an ecological community. this species exerts strong control over a community's composition and diversity | |
| 384157664 | dominant species in terrestrial environment | the most prevalent form of vegetation. the types and structural features of plants usually determines the kinds of animals that live in the community | |
| 384157665 | disturbance | a change (usually temporary) in average environmental conditions that alters or disrupts the community. ex) floods, fires, hurricanes, human activities | |
| 384157666 | succession | a process the community goes through after a disturbance. | |
| 384157667 | trophic structure | the feeding relationship among various species in the community. it determines the passage of energy and nutrients from certain grouping of organisms to the next | |
| 384157668 | autotrophs/producers | provide nutrients and energy for other organisms. all life is supported by them | |
| 384157669 | food chain | the stepwise flow of energy and nutrients from plants to herbivores to carnivores | |
| 384157670 | food web | interconnecting food chains | |
| 384157671 | detrivores/decomposers | eat dead materials and help recycle nutrients in the environment ex)vultures, earthworms, fungi | |
| 384157672 | interactions between organisms in communities | competition, herbivory, predation, symbiotic relationships | |
| 384157673 | competition | interaction between two or more organisms or groups of organisms that use a common resource in short supply such as light,nutrients,water,space | |
| 384157674 | interspecific competition | occurs between two or more species if they require the same limited resource | |
| 384157675 | intraspecific competition | occurs when two or more members of the same species compete for the same limited resource | |
| 384157676 | competitive exclusion principle | two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist in the same place. one of the two competitors will always outcompete the other | |
| 384157677 | outcomes of competitive exclusion | the extinction of the weaker competitor or resource partitioning | |
| 384157678 | resource partitioning | an evolutionary or behavioral differentiation (shift) of one competitor towards using a different set of resources. this enables similar species to coexist in a community | |
| 384157679 | niche | the sum total of all biotic and abiotic factors that an organism requires to survive | |
| 384157680 | herbivory | an interaction between species in which one species, the herbivore, eats another, the autotroph | |
| 384157681 | coevolution | a change in one species acts as a new selective force on another. ex)passiflora plant and caterpillars | |
| 384157682 | predation | an interaction between species in which one species, the predator, kills and eats another, the prey | |
| 384157683 | mimicry | one species mimics the appearance of another to avoid predation | |
| 384157684 | Batesian mimicry | a harmless species mimics a harmful species | |
| 384157685 | Mullerian mimicry | two harmful species mimic each other | |
| 384157686 | keystone species | a species that exerts a strong control on community structure because of its ecological role ex) seastars are keystone species in the experiment with mussels | |
| 384157687 | symbiotic relationship | an interaction between two or more species. 3 main types: parasitism, commensalism, mutualism | |
| 384157688 | parasitism | one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. ex)tapeworm,ticks,pathogen | |
| 384157689 | commensalism | one species benefits while the other is unaffected ex)algae on turtle shells | |
| 384157690 | mutualism | both species benefit ex)legume plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria | |
| 384157691 | ecosystem | all of the organisms in a community as well as the abiotic environment with which the organisms interact | |
| 384157692 | 2 important processes in ecosystem | -energy flow:passage of energy through ecosystem -chemical cycling:transfer of material within ecosystem | |
| 384157693 | primary production | the amount of solar energy converted by primary producers (through photosynthesis) to chemical energy (in the form of living organic material) in a given area at a given time | |
| 384157694 | biomass | the amount of living organic material in an ecosystem | |
| 384157695 | the percent of solar energy that reaches the producers that is converted to chemical energy | 1% | |
| 384157696 | percent of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next | 10% | |
| 384240613 | population ecology | is concerned with changes in population size and the factors that regulate populations over time. it is the study of how and why populations change | |
| 384240614 | population | a group of individuals of a single species that occupy the same general area | |
| 384240615 | population dynamics | the change in population size and structure (as a result of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors | |
| 384240616 | population density | the number of individuals of a species per unit of area or volume. ex) number of oak trees per square kilometer or forest | |
| 384240617 | dispersion patterns | the way organisms are distributed within the area | |
| 384240618 | spacing patterns | -clumped:organisms are aggregated in patches -uniform:equally spaced out in the environment -random:spaced in patternless, unpredictable way | |
| 384240619 | life table | an age specific summary of the survival pattern of a population | |
| 384240620 | survivorship curve | a graphic way of representing the data in a life table; it illustrates the percentage of individuals alive as age increases | |
| 384240621 | types of survivorship curve | -type1:low death rates during early and middle life then an increase among older age groups -type2:death rate is constant over organisms life span -type3:high death rates for the young, then a slower death rate for survivors | |
| 384240622 | exponential growth | the accelerating increase in population that occurs when growth is unlimited. one variable increases much faster than the other. (J shaped curve) | |
| 384240623 | limiting factors | environmental factors that restrict population growth. ex)food,space,light,predation,disease,weather | |
| 384240624 | logistic growth | early on populations will exhibit very rapid growth (exponential growth) but as they near the carrying capacity, they will level off as a result of limiting factors. (S shaped curve) | |
| 384240625 | carrying capacity (K) | maximum number of individuals of a population the environment can sustain. each environment can only support so many individuals | |
| 384240626 | density dependent factors | as a populations density increases, factors such as limited food supply, less space, increased disease, and predation may increase the death rate, decrease the birth rate, or do both | |
| 384240627 | density independent factors | abiotic factors such as weather, light, nutrients, weather, & natural disasters may also limit natural population | |
| 384240628 | life history | the series of events from birth through reproduction to death. traits include age where reproduction first occurs, frequency of reproduction, amount of parental care given, etc | |
| 384240629 | r-selection | organisms put most of their energy into rapid growth and reproduction. they produce many offspring & don't put a lot of resources into individual offspring. ex)roaches,weeds,mice | |
| 384240630 | K-selection | organisms produce fewer offspring, but put a lot more resources into each offspring. put most of their energy into growth NOT rapid reproduction. ex)humans & elephants | |
| 384240631 | current approximate human population | 7.0 billion | |
| 384240632 | ecological footprint | the amount of land needed per person to support a nation's resource needs | |
| 384240633 | ecological capacity | the overall ability of an ecosystem to maintain its natural, original, or current condition and to produce goods and services | |
| 384388082 | conservation biology | an applied and goal oriented science that seeks to understand the factors that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity | |
| 384388084 | primary goal of conservation biology | counter biodiversity loss | |
| 384388086 | biodiversity | sum total of all organisms in an area OR variability among living organisms in an area | |
| 384388088 | three levels of biodiversity | genetic diversity species diversity ecosystem diversity | |
| 384388090 | genetic diversity | differences in DNA among individuals within a given species | |
| 384388091 | species diversity | number or variety of species in the world or in a particular region | |
| 384388093 | ecosystem diversity | the number and variety of ecosystems. rapid vegetation change and varying landscapes within an ecosystem promote higher levels of biodiversity | |
| 384388095 | species richness | the number of species | |
| 384388097 | eveness or relative abundance | extent to which numbers of individuals of different species are equal or skewed | |
| 384388098 | 2 ecosystems that have very high biodiversity | tropical forests and coral reefs | |
| 384388099 | benefits of biodiversity | ecosystem services, biological resources, socio-economic benefits | |
| 384388100 | ecosystem services | provides habitat, purifies air&water, detoxifies wastes, stabilizes climate, generates and renews soil fertility, pollinates plants, controls pests&disease, maintains genetic resources | |
| 384388101 | biological resources | food, clothes, medicinal, and industrial resources. wood products and ornamental plants. | |
| 384388102 | socio-economic benefits of biodiversity | research and education, recreation and tourism, cultural and aesthetic values | |
| 384388103 | amount of species identified on Earth | 1.7-2 million | |
| 384388104 | estimated number of species on Earth | 3-100 million | |
| 384388105 | extinction | when the last member of a species dies and the species ceases to exist | |
| 384388106 | extirpation | the extinction of a particular population from a given area, but not the entire species globally. can lead to extinction. | |
| 384388107 | background rate of extinction | natural rate of extinction | |
| 384388108 | causes of biodiversity loss | habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, overharvesting/overexploitation, global climate change, population growth | |
| 384388109 | greatest cause of biodiversity loss | habitat destruction | |
| 384388110 | two ways invasive species can be introduced | -accidental:marine organisms that have been transported between continents in the ballast water of ships & animals that escape from pet trade -intentional:humans have introduced many food crops and domesticated animals to new places | |
| 384388111 | global climate change | rapid global warming due to excessive emission of greenhouse gasses | |
| 384388112 | risks of global climate change | most animals and plants will not be able to cope, disappearance of ecosystems, change in species composition and distribution | |
| 384388113 | habitat fragmentation | when populations become isolated, reducing genetic variation, their population starts to decline | |
| 384388114 | main cause of habitat fragmentation | human activities such as deforestation | |
| 384388115 | captive breeding | individuals are bred and raised with the intent of reintroducing them into the wild | |
| 384388116 | biodiversity hotspots | regions which have large concentrations of endemic species (species found nowhere else in the world) | |
| 384388117 | reserves | undisturbed wildlands surrounded by buffer zones of compatible economic development | |
| 384388118 | sustainable development | seeks to improve the human condition while conserving biodiversity |
