Ecology

Individual

A single organism

Population

A group of individuals that are the same species living in the same area

Community

All of the organisms living in the same area

Ecosystem

All of the abiotic (nonliving) and biotic (living) factors in an area that interact with each other

Biosphere

the part of Earth where life exists

Abiotic factor

non-living things in an environment

Biotic factor

living things in an environment

exponential growth

Characterized by a J shape growth curve. This happens when there are unlimited resources and the population growth is not limited.

logistic growth

Characterized by a S shape growth curve. This happens when there is competition for a finite amount of resources. The population grows, reaches carrying capacity, and levels off.

carrying capacity

The maximum number of organisms in a population that the environment can sustainably support

limiting factor

Environmental factor/condition that controls the rate of a process like population growth

density dependent limiting factor

A type of limiting factor that is influenced by the size of a population. An example is food availability.

density independent limiting factor

A type of limiting factor that is not influenced by the size of a population. An example would be an earthquake.

immigration

Entering population

emigration

Leaving a population

mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

competition

a relationship in which different individuals or populations attempt to use the same limited resource

parasitism

A relationship between two species in which one organism benefits and other other is harmed

commensalism

A relationship between two species in which one organism benefits and other is not helped or harmed

predator

The organism that does the killing in predation

prey

The organism that gets eaten in predation

Autotroph/producer

Organism that can produce its own food using light, water, CO2, or other chemicals

Heterotroph/consumer

Organism that cannot produce their own food, relying on the intake of nutrition from other sources, mainly plants or animals.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals

Carnivore

A consumer that eats only animals.

Detritivore

organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter (detritus) for food.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms for food

food chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. It shows a linear feeding relationship.

food web

Multiple, interconnected food chains. It shows the complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

Primary consumer

An organism that eats producers/autotrophs

Secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

Tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers

Quaternary consumer

An organism that eats tertiary consumers.

Trophic level

step in a food chain or food web that is made up of organisms with the same feeding behavior

10% rule

Only 10% of the total energy at each trophic level is available to/passed on to the next trophic level. The amount of energy passed on decreases as you go up the food chain.

biological magnification

increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web

keystone species

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically (there would be ripple effects). The impact of a keystone species is often disproportionate to the species' size/numbers.

invasive species

a non-native species that spreads beyond its original point of introduction and causes environmental or economic damage. These species are not restricted by their new habitat and often damage the environment by altering the habitat, competing with native species, and decreasing the populations of native species.

biodiversity

the variation among living things in an area

ecosystem diversity

the variety of different ecosystems in an area. It is important for there to be many ecosystems that interact with each other.

species diversity

The number of different species (types of organisms) in a community and how many individuals of each species there are.

genetic diversity

The genetic variation within a species.

Global warming

An increase in the average temperature of the earth. This is thought to be due to an increase in greenhouse gasses like CO2, H20, CH4, and N20 in the atmosphere.These gasses trap heat in our atmosphere and prevent it from going back into space. Some sources of greenhouse gasses include agriculture and burning fossil fuels.

habitat fragmentation

when habitats are divided up into smaller, isolated pieces after roads, pipelines, mining, and other human activities disrupt the area.

deforestation

the clearing or removing of forests. This usually happens for farms or urban use of the land.

habitat restoration

the process of taking action to bring a damaged habitat back to a healthy condition. It usually involves planting native plants/species in an area.

ecotourism

responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment. This con combat overhunting, overfishing, and destruction of a habitat because it provides an economic incentive for people to preserve wildlife.

captive breeding programs

the raising and breeding of organisms in enclosures, zoos, sanctuaries, etc. The goal of many of these programs is to return the organisms to the wild. However, the organisms tend to have low genetic diversity.

energy conservation

finding ways to use less energy or to use energy more efficiently

photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other autotrophs use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as glucose (C6H12O6)

cell respiration

process by which organisms use oxygen gas and food like glucose to convert the energy in food into a usable form for the organism (ATP). Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water are released during this process.

decomposition

A chemical reaction that breaks down organic material (like dead plants or animals) into smaller compounds. Carbon dioxide (CO2) may be released during this process.

combustion

the process of burning something. In the carbon cycle, humans do this when we burn fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released during this process.

fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals. These substances are hydrocarbons.