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52 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Biotic
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pertaining to the living organisms in the environment
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Abiotic
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non-living, referring to physical and chemical properties of an environment
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dispersal
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the movement of individuals or gametes away from their parent location. this movement can expand the geographic range for a population or species
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microclimate
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very fine scale patterns of climate such as the specific climate conditions underneath a log
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macroclimate
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large scale patterns in climate, climate of entire region
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Turnover
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the mixing of waters as a result of changing water temperature profiles in a lake
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Disturbance
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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
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climograph
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a plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region
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population ecology
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the study of populations in relation to their environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size
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Population
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A localized group of individuals of the same species that can interbreed, producing fertile offspring
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Density
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The number of individuals per unit area or volume
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Dispersion
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The pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of the geographic population
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Mark-recapture method
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A sampling technique used to estimate the size of animal populations
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Demography
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The study of statistics relating to births and deaths in populations
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Cohort
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A group of individuals of the same age in a population
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Zero-population growth (ZPG)
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A period of stability in population size, when the per capita birth rate and death rate are equal
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Exponential population growth
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Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time
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Logistical population growth
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Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity
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Carrying Capacity
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The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources, symbolizes as K
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K- selection
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selection for life history traits that are sensitive to population density, also called density-dependent selection
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R-selection
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selection for life history traits that maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments also called density independent selection
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Density Dependent
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referring to any characteristic that varies according to an increase in population density
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Density Independent
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Referring to any characteristic that is not affected by population density
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Population dynamics
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The study of how complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors influence variations in population size
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Ecological footprint
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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
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Age structure
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The relative number of individuals of each age in a population
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Interspecific interactions
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A relationship between individuals of two or more species in a community
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Competitive exclusion
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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
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Ecological niche
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The sum of a species use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment
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Resource partitioning
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The division of environmental resources by coexisting species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species
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Character displacement
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The tendency for characteristics to be more divergent in sympatric populations of two species than in allopatric populations of the same two species
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Cryptic Coloring
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Camouflage that makes a potential prey difficult to spot against its background
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Aposematic coloration
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The bright coloration of animals with effective physical or chemical defenses that acts as a warning to predators
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Symbiosis
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an ecological relationship between organisms of two different species that live together in direct and intimate contact
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Endoparasite
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A parasite that lives within a host
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Ectoparasites
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A parasite that feeds on the external surface of a host
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Species Diversity
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The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community
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Species Richness
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the number of species in a biological community
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Relative abundance
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The proportional abundance of different species in a community
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Trophic structure
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the different feeding relationships in an ecosystem which determines the route of energy flow and the pattern of chemical cycling
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Energetic hypothesis
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The concept that the length of a food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain
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Biomass
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The total mass of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat
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Dynamic stability hypothesis
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The idea that long food chains are less stable than short chains
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invasive species
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A species often introduced by humans that takes hold outside its native range
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Dominate species
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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
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Keystone Species
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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
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Bottom up model
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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
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top down models
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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
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Disturbance
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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.
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ecological succession
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transition in the species composition of a community following a disturbance; the establishment of a community in an area virtually barren to life
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Evapotranspiration
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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
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species area curve
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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
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