Unit 1 - Land Ecology (APES) *Part 1*

Abiotic

Relating to non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment, such as sunlight, temperature, and water that affect living organisms.

Anthropocentric

Pertaining to a human-centered perspective that prioritizes human interests over ecological or environmental considerations.

Anthropogenic

Atmosphere

The thin layer of gases surrounding Earth, essential for sustaining life and regulating climate.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat or ecosystem, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Biotic

Referring to the living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, that interact with each other and their environment.

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems, it includes all areas of Earth where life exists, encompassing land, water, and the atmosphere.

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. (+,0)

Competition

The interaction between organisms where both are vying for the same resources, such as food, water, or territory, leading to a potentially negative impact on one or both species involved.

Competitive exclusion principle

The ecological theory stating that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant. One species will outcompete the other, leading to the latter's local extinction.

Ecocentric

A philosophical perspective that prioritizes ecological considerations and the health of ecosystems over human-centered values, advocating for the intrinsic value of all living entities.

Ecological footprint

A measure of human demand on Earth's ecosystems, representing the area of land and water required to produce the resources consumed and absorb the waste generated.

Ecological niche

The role or function of a species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and relationships with other species.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment, including both biotic and abiotic components.

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of different ecosystems within a specific area, including the differences in species, habitats, and ecological processes.

Ecosystem engineer

A species that creates, alters, or maintains habitats and influences the availability of resources for other organisms.

Ecosystem services

The essential benefits that natural ecosystems provide to human society, sustaining life and enriching quality of life. These services can be categorized into four types:

1. Provisioning Services: Products obtained from ecosystems (i.e. food, medicine, timber)

2. Regulating Services: Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes (i.e. climate regulation)

3. Cultural Services: Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems (i.e. recreation, tourism, aesthetic appreciation)

4. Supporting Services: Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services (i.e. soil production and nutrient cycling)

Environmental indicators

Variables that provide insights into the health of the environment, signaling changes in ecosystem conditions and helping assess environmental quality and trends.

Environmental science

The study of interactions between the natural environment and human activities, encompassing the physical, biological, and social sciences to address environmental problems.

Environmental studies

An interdisciplinary field that examines the interactions between humans and the environment, encompassing ecological, social, and economic perspectives.

Environmentalist

A person who is concerned with or advocates for the protection of the environment through conservation, policy change, and activism.

Environment

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates, including natural and human-made elements.

Fundamental niche

The ideal conditions and resources necessary for a species to thrive, including food, water, habitat, and interactions with other species. It represents the full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can use without competition.

Generalist

A species that can thrive in a variety of environmental conditions and can utilize a wide range of resources, often leading to a broad ecological niche.

Genetic diversity

The variety of genes within a species, allowing for adaptability and survival in changing environments. This diversity is essential for resilience against diseases and environmental changes.

Indicator species

Organisms that reflect the health of an ecosystem and can indicate changes in environmental conditions, often serving as a gauge for biodiversity.

Interspecific competition

Competition between DIFFERENT species for the same limited resources in an ecosystem, such as food, space, or light.

Intraspecific competition

Competition among individuals of the SAME species for limited resources such as food, space, and mates, which can influence population dynamics and evolution.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species are crucial for maintaining the structure, stability, and biodiversity of an ecosystem; their removal can lead to significant ecological changes.

Levels of organization (*individual, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere)

A hierarchical system used to categorize life and ecological structures, from the smallest to the largest scale:

1. Individual: A single organism.

2. Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

3. Community: All the populations of different species living and interacting in a particular area.

4. Ecosystem: All the biotic components (community) and the abiotic components (physical environment) interacting in a particular area.

5. Biome: A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g., forest or tundra, characterized by specific climate and dominant plant forms.

6. Biosphere: The global sum of all ecosystems; the part of Earth where life exists.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship in which both organisms involved benefit from the interaction. (+,+)

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another organism (the host), often causing harm to the host. (+,-)

Predation

An interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and consumes another organism, its prey.

Range of tolerance

The set of environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pH, salinity) within which a species can survive and reproduce.

Realized niche

The actual set of environmental conditions and resources in which a species exists and reproduces, typically smaller than the fundamental niche due to competition and other limiting factors.

Resource partitioning

When species divide resources to avoid competition, allowing them to coexist in the same habitat. This can involve using different parts of a resource, using the resource at different times, or using different resources.

Specialist

A species that can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet, often leading to a narrow ecological niche. (i.e. koala, giant panda)

Species

A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding, generally recognized as a basic unit of biological classification.

Species diversity

The number of different species (species richness) and the relative abundance of each species (species evenness) in a particular area or ecosystem.

Sustainability

The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; involves practices that maintain ecological balance and resource availability over the long term.

Sustainable development

Development that aims to achieve human well-being and economic prosperity while preserving natural resources and ecosystems for future generations, integrating economic, social, and environmental goals.

Symbiosis

Typically a long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms who live closely together where at least one organism benefits; which can be mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic

Technocentric

A viewpoint that believes technology can solve environmental problems and that human ingenuity and development are key to managing nature and its resources.

Tragedy of the Commons

An economic theory where individuals, acting independently and rationally according to their own self-interest, deplete a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen.