ECOLOGY - UNIT 1

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic ecological concepts, key historical and modern figures, research methodologies, and biological case studies.

Ecology

The scientific study of how organisms affect, and are affected by, other organisms and their environment.

Ernst Haeckle

Ecologist who defined ecology as the study of all the complex interrelations referred to by Darwin as the conditions of the struggle for existence.

Von Humboldt

Prominent ecologist associated with the study of biomes.

Elton

Prominent ecologist associated with the study of predator-prey cycles.

Hutchinson

Prominent ecologist associated with the concept of the niche.

Davis

Prominent ecologist (Margaret B. Davis) associated with the study of plant distributions and climatic change.

Daily

Prominent ecologist associated with evaluating the value of nature and the Natural Capital Project.

Etuaptmumk

Two-eyed seeing concept introduced by Elder Dr. Albert Marshall of the Mi'kmaw Nation, holding that traditional knowledge systems don't have to exist separately from modern science.

Balance of nature

An early ecological view that ecological systems are stable and tend to return to an original state after disturbance, with each species playing a distinct role in that balance.

Trophic cascade

An ecological interaction involving direct and indirect effects across trophic levels, such as the relationship between sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp density.

Observational studies

A type of ecological research involving the collection of data in unmanipulated settings, such as MacArthur's 1958 study on resource partitioning in warblers.

Experimental studies

A type of ecological research utilizing standard scientific methods to manipulate variables and evaluate hypotheses.

Models

Tools used in ecological research to explain how systems work and allow ecologists to make predictions.

Replication

An essential component of experimental design involving performing each treatment more than once.

Biological indicators

Species, such as amphibians with cutaneous respiration and permeable eggs, that serve as early warning signals for environmental changes and degradation.