U3 and 4 QCAA Bio Jargon

Simpson's Diversity Index

A calculation of the relative biodiversity of a community

SDI =Sum of (n (n-1) ) / ( N-(N-1) )

N = total number of organisms

n = number of individuals of each species

Biodiversity

The amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, ecosystem diversity and genetic diversity.

Diversity

(n.) difference, variety; a condition of having many different types of forms

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Ecosystem

A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms (biotic) with their physical (abiotic) environment

species richness

the number of species in a given area

species evenness/relative abundance

The extent to which population size of each different species is similar to others in the area

Percentage cover

An estimate of the amount/percentage of ground in a quadrat covered by each species

percentage frequency

the percentage of the total quadrat number that the species was present in

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

Competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

Symbiosis

Mutualism

symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship between two species in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed

Amensalism

a symbiotic relationship between organisms of two different species in which one is unaffected and the other is negatively impacted by the association

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

abiotic factors

The non-living parts of an ecosystem. Including: climate (temperature and humidity etc), substrate (surface structure), size/depth of area.

biotic factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment and their relationships. Including: predation, competition, symbiosis, disease.

climate

the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

Substrate

the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment.

spatial

relating to space on the Earth's surface; sometimes used as a synonym for geographic.

temporal

relating to time

environmental factors

the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic variables that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form.

Distribution

The arrangement of an organism across a space or across the planet.

species abundance

the number of individuals per species.

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

Acidity (pH)

The measure of Hydrogen ions in a substance. Can be measured using the pH scale. Numbers 0-6 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and numbers 8-14 are alkaline or base, the opposite of acidic.

Dissolved Oxygen

a measure of the oxygen dissolved in water, dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other aquatic animals

Temperature

A measure of how hot (or cold) something is; specifically, a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.

Methods of reproduction

asexual and sexual

asexual reproduction

A reproductive process that involves only one parent and produces offspring that are identical to the parent.

sexual reproduction

Process by which cells from two different parents unite to produce the first cell of a new organism.

Reproduction

the process of producing offspring (young)

physical features

An organisms structure, weight, size, shape or another bodily characteristic.

limiting factor

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.

hierarchical

arranging things one above the other by rank

Classification

the action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities or characteristics.

molecular sequences

The chemical structure of DNA, RNA, genes or Amino acids. Often used to determine the relationship between organisms

molecular phylogeny (cladistics)

analysis of the genetic material of organisms to establish their evolutionary relationships

Linnaean Classification System

1. Hierarchical or Rank-based structure

2. The ranking structure was - Three kingdoms, divided into phyla/division, classes, orders, families, genera and species.

3. Uses binomial nomenclature (Genus and species).

4. Uses morphological features of organisms to create groups according to their similarities/features of the groups, becoming increasingly similar at each lower taxon

K-selection

selection occurring when a population is at or near the carrying capacity (K) of the environment, which is usually stable: tends to favor individuals that successfully compete for resources and produce few, slowly developing young, and results in a stable population of long-lived individuals. Also called 'density-dependent' selection.

r-selection

selection occurring when a population is far below the carrying capacity of an unstable environment: tends to favour individuals that reproduce early, quickly, and in large numbers so as to make use of ephemeral resources and ensure that at least some offspring survive. Also called 'density-independent' selection.

Clade

A group of species that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants.

cladogram/phylogenetic tree

a branching tree depicting evolutionary relationships among organisms

Assumptions of Cladistics

1. Change in physical characteristics occurs in lineages over time.

2. Any group of organisms is related by descent from a common ancestor.

3. There is a bifurcating, or branching, pattern of lineage-splitting.

evolutionary relationships

this describes how different species are related to each other according to evolutionary or ancestral history

Conserved sequence

sequences in which many examples of a particular nucleic acid or protein are compared and the same individual bases or amino acids are always found at particular locations

interspecific hybrid

the offspring of individuals belonging to different species

fertile

capable of reproducing

offspring

Product of reproduction, a new organism produced by one or more parents

disease

An abnormal state in which the body is not functioning normally

habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Microhabitat

a small, particular part of a habitat in which particular organisms live; for example, beneath the bark of a tree within a forest habitat

Ecoregion

A relatively large area that is characterized by distinctive plant and animal communities, climate, and ecological features.

ecosystem management

An integration of ecological, economic, and social goals in a unified systems approach to resource management.

old-growth forest

complex forest that has developed over a long period of time and is relatively untouched by human activity

coral reef

A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water.

stratified sampling

a variation of random sampling; the population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographic characteristics of the national population

population density

Number of individuals per unit area

population distribution

a description of how individuals are distributed or spaced with respect to one another

environmental gradients

a gradual change in abiotic factors through space (or time)

population size

the number of individuals in a population

Zonation

the distribution of plants or animals into specific zones according to such parameters as altitude or depth, each characterized by its dominant species.

stratification

the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. stratum, pl. strata) of vegetation largely according to the different heights to which their plants grow.

Quadrats

square frames (usually 1m x1m) used in estimating abundance in plants or slow-moving animals

Transects

a narrow strip that crosses an entire area when studying the distribution of a species

Bias

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Sample

a subset of the population

Counting Criteria

pre-agreed rules for which organisms or ecological features of a sample site are included or excluded during a scientific survey.

Biomass

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a area or volume. Used to compare the productivity of ecosystems across time or space.

chemical energy

A form of potential energy that is stored in chemical bonds between atoms.

solar energy

energy that comes from the sun

carbon cycle

the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, chiefly involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Energy Transformation (Conversion)

the process of energy changing from one form to another

energy transfer

the transfer of energy from one organism to another through a food chain or web; or the transfer of energy from one object to another, such as heat energy

energy pyramid

diagram that shows the energy stored in each tropic level of an ecosystem

biomass pyramid

Diagram representing the biomass in each trophic level of an ecosystem

food chain

a series of steps in which each part of the chain is made up of an organism that consumes the previous organism and is then subsequently consumed

Radiation

Energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles.

Reflection

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass. The reflection of energy that might otherwise be absorbed.

Absorption

the process or action by which one thing absorbs or is absorbed by another. May include absorption of energy.

trophic level

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

energy flow

The passage of energy through the components of an ecosystem

ecological productivity

refers to the rate of generation of biomass or energy assimilation in an ecosystem

Gross Productivity (GP)

The total gain in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time, which could be through photosynthesis in primary producers or absorption in consumers.