Biology Exam II - Ecology
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46 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ecology | the study of interactions between living and non-living factors |
| biotic | "living" |
| abiotic | "non-living" |
| population | organisms of the SAME species that live in the same area at the same time |
| species | organisms that can mate and produce offspring that aren't sterile and can mate again |
| sterile | CAN NOT produce offspring |
| fertile | CAN produce offspring |
| community | composed of interacting populations at the same time and place |
| terrestrial | "land living" |
| aquatic | "water dwelling" |
| habitat | where an organism lives |
| niche | the "lifestyle" of an organism |
| indigenous | "native" |
| fundamental | type of niche that shows the potential of what will happen |
| realized | type of niche that really happens |
| ecosystem | comprised of a community's interactions with abiotic factors |
| biome | a large group of ecosystems that contain communities that are stable and undergo little change |
| biosphere | the portion of earth that supports life (ex: atmosphere, land, below ground, etc...) |
| symbiosis | a close and permanent relationship between organisms of different species |
| mutualism | symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit from the interaction :) :) |
| commensalism | symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is not harmed or helped :) :| |
| parasitism | symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed :) :( |
| mimicry | where one species of plant or animal mimics another species of plant or animal for their own benefit |
| camouflage | where a species looks like its surroundings for its own protection |
| intraspecific | among the same species |
| interspecific | between two species |
| primary | one of the two successions -- no soil present |
| secondary | one of the two successions -- soil present; change in species competition due to a disturbance destroying existing plant life |
| autotroph | an ____ uses the sun to obtain their "food" and get energy |
| heterotroph | a ____ must consume substances to obtain their energy |
| decomposer | a ____ obtains energy by decomposing other substances and organisms |
| energy | "the ability to work" |
| primary | one of the two levels of consumers -- mostly herbivores who eat producers |
| secondary | one of the two levels of consumers -- omnivores and carnivores |
| closed | the type of system that only includes births and deaths of a global population |
| open | the type of system that includes births and death, and immigration and emigration of a local population |
| biotic potential | the potential for life -- affected by: reproductive age, reproductive longevity, and the number of offspring |
| exponential | the type of population growth that forms a J-shaped curve on a graph |
| environmental resistance | prohibits indefinite exponential growth on populations because of environmental factors |
| carrying capacity | the largest population supported indefinitely by an environment assuming unchanging environmental conditions |
| biodiversity | all life in an area |
| genetic diversity | the genetic variation within all populations of a particular species |
| extinction | when a species is completly eliminated and their genetic imput is gone |
| endangerment | when a species is in imminent danger of extinction |
| invasive | type of species that moves into an area that they are not supposed to be |
| epiphyte | when one organism lives on another, but doesn't cause any harm to the organism it lives on |
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