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52 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
Biotic
pertaining to the living organisms in the environment
Abiotic
non-living, referring to physical and chemical properties of an environment
dispersal
the movement of individuals or gametes away from their parent location. this movement can expand the geographic range for a population or species
microclimate
very fine scale patterns of climate such as the specific climate conditions underneath a log
macroclimate
large scale patterns in climate, climate of entire region
Turnover
the mixing of waters as a result of changing water temperature profiles in a lake
Disturbance
A natural or human-caused event that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it. Disturbances such as fires and storms, play a pivotal role in structuring many communities
climograph
a plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region
population ecology
the study of populations in relation to their environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size
Population
A localized group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed, producing fertile offspring
Density
The number of individuals per unit area or volume
Dispersion
The pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of the geographic population
Mark-recapture method
A sampling technique used to estimate the size of animal populations
Demography
The study of statistics relating to births and deaths in populations
Cohort
A group of individuals of the same age in a population
Zero-population growth (ZPG)
A period of stability in population size, when the per capita birth rate and death rate are equal
Exponential population growth
Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time
Logistical population growth
Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity
Carrying Capacity
The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources, symbolizes as K
K- selection
selection for life history traits that are sensitive to population density, also called density-dependent selection
R-selection
selection for life history traits that maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments also called density independent selection
Density Dependent
referring to any characteristic that varies according to an increase in population density
Density Independent
Referring to any characteristic that is not affected by population density
Population dynamics
The study of how complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors influence variations in population size
Ecological footprint
The aggregate land and water area required by a person city or nation to produce all of the resources it consumes and to absorb all of the water it generates
Age structure
The relative number of individuals of each age in a population
Interspecific interactions
A relationship between individuals of two or more species in a community
Competitive exclusion
The concept that when populations of two similar species compete for the same limited resources, one population will use the resources more effectively and have a reproductive advantage that will eventually lead to the elimination of the other population
Ecological niche
The sum of a species use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment
Resource partitioning
The division of environmental resources by coexisting species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species
Character displacement
The tendency for characteristics to be more divergent in sympatric populations of two species than in allopatric populations of the same two species
Cryptic Coloring
Camouflage that makes a potential prey difficult to spot against its background
Aposematic coloration
The bright coloration of animals with effective physical or chemical defenses that acts as a warning to predators
Symbiosis
an ecological relationship between organisms of two different species that live together in direct and intimate contact
Endoparasite
A parasite that lives within a host
Ectoparasites
A parasite that feeds on the external surface of a host
Species Diversity
The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community
Species Richness
the number of species in a biological community
Relative abundance
The proportional abundance of different species in a community
Trophic structure
the different feeding relationships in an ecosystem which determines the route of energy flow and the pattern of chemical cycling
Energetic hypothesis
The concept that the length of a food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain
Biomass
The total mass of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat
Dynamic stability hypothesis
The idea that long food chains are less stable than short chains
invasive species
A species often introduced by humans that takes hold outside its native range
Dominate species
a species with substantially higher abundance or biomass than other species in a community. Dominate species exert a powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species
Keystone Species
A species that is not necessarily abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on community structure by the nature of its ecological niche or role
Bottom up model
a model of community organizations in which mineral nutrients influence community organization by controlling plant or phytoplankton numbers, which in turn control herbivore numbers, which in turn control predator numbers
top down models
A model of community organization in which predation influences community organization by controlling herbivore numbers, which in turn control plant or phytoplankton numbers, which in turn control nutrient levels; also called the trophic cascade model
Disturbance
a natural or human-caused event that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it. Disturbances such as fires and storms play a pivotal role in structuring many communities.
ecological succession
transition in the species composition of a community following a disturbance; the establishment of a community in an area virtually barren to life
Evapotranspiration
the total evaporation of water from an ecosystem, including evaporation from soil and the outside of plants as well as the transportation of water from within plants through stomata
species area curve
the biodiversity pattern, first noted by Alexander von Humboldt that shows that the larger the geographic area of a community is, the more species it has