AP Bio Exam Review - Ecology Unit

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the Ecology Unit of the AP Biology exam review.

Ecology

The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem, such as organisms.

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving components of an ecosystem, such as temperature, water, and sunlight.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area.

Community

All the organisms of all the species that inhabit a particular area.

Ecosystem

All the abiotic factors plus the community of species in a certain area.

Biosphere

The global ecosystem; the sum of all Earth's ecosystems.

Kinesis

A simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus.

Taxis

Automatic, oriented movement towards or away from a stimulus.

Habituation

Loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no information.

Imprinting

A learning process with innate components, limited to a sensitive period in life.

Associative Learning

The ability to associate one stimulus with another; also known as classical conditioning.

Operant Conditioning

A type of associative learning involving trial-and-error to associate behavior with a reward or punishment.

Cognition

The ability of an animal's nervous system to perceive, store, process, and use information.

Territorial Behavior

Behavior that involves marking and defending territory.

Population Growth

Changes in population size influenced by birth and death rates.

Demography

The study of vital statistics that affect population size.

Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum stable population that can be sustained by the environment.

K-selection

Population strategy where species live close to their carrying capacity.

r-selection

Population strategy that maximizes reproductive success.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors that limit population growth based on population size.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors that affect population growth regardless of population size.

Ecological Niche

The sum total of an organism's use of abiotic and biotic resources in the environment.

Cryptic Coloration

Camouflage that allows an organism to avoid detection by predators.

Keystone Species

Species that exert control on the structure of a community by their ecological roles.

Primary Succession

Biological colonization of barren land where soil has not yet formed.

Secondary Succession

Recovery of an ecosystem following a disturbance that leaves soil intact.

Trophic Levels

Levels in a food chain, representing the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Nutrient cycles that involve both biotic and abiotic components.

Greenhouse Effect

The absorption of heat by greenhouse gases, which helps to maintain Earth's temperature.

Global Warming

The predicted increase in Earth’s average temperature due to rising CO2 levels.

Biodiversity Threats

Human activities causing habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and food chain disruption.