Introduction to Ecology and Evolution G0L65

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to ecology and evolution, providing definitions and clarifications essential for understanding the subject.

Ecology

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

Abiotic factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Biotic factors

Living parts of the environment that interact with organisms.

Microevolution

Small-scale evolutionary changes that occur within a species.

Macroevolution

Large-scale evolutionary changes that occur over geological time, leading to the creation of new species.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Carrying capacity (K)

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Predation

An interaction where one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).

Intraspecific competition

Competition between individuals of the same species for limited resources.

Interspecific competition

Competition between individuals of different species for limited resources.

Natural selection

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

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis where both species benefit from the interaction.

Exploitative competition

Competition in which one species reduces the availability of resources for another, indirectly harming them.

Interference competition

Competition in which one species directly interacts with another, hindering their access to resources.

Genetic drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, which can lead to evolution.

Founder effect

A reduced genetic diversity that results when a population is established by a small number of individuals from a larger population.

Ecosystem services

The benefits humans derive from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.

Edge effect

The changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two or more habitats.