Envio. Bio Unit 2 flashcards

Population

A population consists of organisms of the same species living in a specific geographic area at the same time, capable of interbreeding.

Arithmetic Growth

Growth increases at a constant rate, but is not realistic for long-term population growth.

Exponential Growth

Growth that accelerates with each generation, seen in environments with abundant resources, represented as a 'J'-shaped curve.

Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum number of organisms an environment can sustainably support, determined by available resources.

Logistic Growth

Population growth follows an 'S-shaped curve' when resources are limited, showing rapid growth that slows as carrying capacity is approached.

Range of Tolerance

The range of environmental conditions within which an organism can survive and reproduce.

Habitat

The physical environment where an organism lives.

Niche

The role an organism plays in its ecosystem, including its interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.

Survivorship Curves

Graphs that depict the number of individuals surviving at each age for a given species.

Type I Survivorship Curve

Most individuals die at an old age (e.g., humans).

Type II Survivorship Curve

Equal mortality rates across all ages (e.g., birds).

Type III Survivorship Curve

High mortality among young individuals (e.g., fish).

Genetic Drift

A mechanism of evolution where random events cause changes in the frequency of inherited traits in a population.

Founder Effect

A specific type of genetic drift occurring when a small group becomes isolated from a larger population.

Adaptive Evolution

Evolutionary changes that improve a species' fitness in its environment.

Non-Adaptive Evolution

Genetic changes not driven by environmental suitability (e.g., genetic drift).

Mutation

Random changes in DNA that provide the raw material for evolution.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Reproductive Isolation

Barriers that prevent species from interbreeding, leading to speciation.

Geographic Isolation

Physical barriers like mountains or rivers that prevent populations from interbreeding.

Temporal Isolation

Populations breed at different times, preventing interbreeding.

Behavioral Isolation

Differences in mating rituals or behaviors that prevent species from mating.

Artificial Selection

The human-driven process of selectively breeding plants and animals for specific traits.

Extinction

The permanent disappearance of a species.

Mass Extinction

Events causing the extinction of a significant number of species in a relatively short period.

Background Extinction Rate

The natural rate of extinction of species due to normal evolutionary processes.

Ecological Footprint

The area of land required to supply resources consumed by a population.

Biocapacity

The area and quality of land available to supply resources to a population.

Community Ecology

The study of how organisms in a community interact with each other and their environment.

Biotic Interactions

Interactions among living organisms that shape community structure.

Competition

When two or more groups use the same resource, impacting each other's fitness.

Interspecific Competition

Competition between individuals of different species.

Intraspecific Competition

Competition among individuals of the same species.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species that directly compete for resources cannot coexist.

Niche Differentiation

The process by which competing species utilize different resources to coexist.

Coevolution

When two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through natural selection.

Herbivory

The interaction where herbivores feed on plant material.

Predation

The act of one organism capturing and consuming another for food.

Parasitism

An interaction where one organism benefits at the expense of another, without immediately killing it.

Mutualism

An interaction where both species benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

An interaction where one species benefits, while the other is unaffected.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that, when introduced to an ecosystem, disrupt the local environment and species.

Evolutionary Biology

The study of the processes that lead to the diversity of life on Earth.

Domestication

The process of selectively breeding plants and animals for human use.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Ecological Stability

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time despite disturbances.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit area or volume.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process of dividing ecosystems into smaller, isolated patches.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits provided by ecosystems to humans, including clean water, pollination, and climate regulation.

Ecological Niche Model

A tool used to predict a species distribution based on their ecological requirements.

Global Warming

The increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases.

Renewable Resources

Natural resources that can be replenished naturally over time.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.

Climate Change

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily driven by human activities such as fossil fuel burning.

Ecosystem Resilience

The capacity of an ecosystem to recover from disturbances or withstand ongoing pressures.

Interspecific Interactions

Interactions between individuals of different species in a community, such as predation, competition, and mutualism.

Pollination

The process by which pollen is transferred from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma, enabling fertilization.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Exploitative Competition

Competition where competitors consume or use the same limiting resource without direct aggression towards each other.

Interference Competition

Competition where competitors actively deny each other access to the limiting resources through aggressive interactions.

Interspecific Competition

Competition that occurs between individuals of different species.

Intraspecific Competition

Competition that occurs among individuals of the same species.

Interspecific Exploitative Competition

A type of competition where different species compete for the same limiting resource without direct aggression.

Intraspecific Exploitative Competition

A type of competition within the same species, where individuals consume or use the same resource without fighting.

Intraspecific Interference Competition

A type of competition within the same species where individuals aggressively deny each other access to resources.

Interspecific Interference Competition

A type of competition between different species where access to resources is denied due to aggressive behavior.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

The principle stating that two species that directly compete for the same resources cannot coexist; one will eventually outcompete the other, potentially driving it to extinction.