Parasitism and Ecosystem Health

These flashcards cover key concepts related to parasitism, biodiversity, and productivity in ecosystems.

Parasitism

One organism benefits at the expense of another.

Host

The organism a parasite lives in or on.

Ecosystem Health

The overall condition and functioning of an ecosystem.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in an area.

Species Richness

The number of different species in an area.

Island Biogeography

The study of how species diversity on islands depends on island size and distance from the mainland.

Relative Species Abundance

How common each species is compared to others in an ecosystem.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Total energy produced by autotrophs in an ecosystem.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Energy left after plants use some of the energy for respiration; calculated as NPP = GPP - respiration.