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25 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abiotic factor
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non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
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biotic factor
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biotic factor -any living component that affects another organism
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biodiversity
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biodiversity -the variety of life
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biogeochemical cycle
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biogeochemical cycle -a pathway by which a chemical substance moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) compartments of Earth.
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carrying capacity
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carrying capacity -the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available in the environment.
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community
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community -an interacting group of various species in a common location
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decomposer
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decomposer -organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so,they carry out the natural process of decomposition.
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density-dependent factor
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density-dependent factor -any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is dependent on the number of individuals in the population
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density-independent factor
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density-independent factor -Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is not dependent on the number of individuals in the population.
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ecosystem
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ecosystem -a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
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energy pyramid |
energy pyramid -a graphical model of energy flow in a community. |
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food web |
food web -a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains. |
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habitat |
habitat -the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. |
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invasive species |
invasive species -a plant, fungus, or animal species that is not native to a specific location (an introduced species), and which has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health. |
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pioneer species |
pioneer species -hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse steady-state ecosystem |
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population
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population -a summation of all the organisms of the same group or species, which live in a particular geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding
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producer |
producer -organisms that can make their own energy through biochemical processes, which are just processes in living things that involve chemical reactions |
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primary consumer |
primary consumer -organisms that eat the autotrophs; these organisms are called herbivores or primary consumers |
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secondary consumer |
secondary consumer -Secondary consumers eat primary consumers. They are carnivores (meat-eaters) and omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants). |
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nonrenewable resources |
nonrenewable resources -a resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means on a level equal to its consumption |
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renewable resources |
renewable resources -a resource which is replaced naturally and can be used again. |
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primary succession |
primary succession -one of two types of biological and ecological succession of plant life, occurring in an environment in which new substrate devoid of vegetation and other organisms usually lacking soil, such as a lava flow or area left from retreated glacier, is deposited. |
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secondary succession |
secondary succession -the series of community changes which take place on a previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat |
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sustainability |
sustainability -the endurance of systems and processes |
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symbiosis |
symbiosis -interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. |
