Ecosystems and Biodiversity Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to ecosystems, biodiversity, and their dynamics, aiding in understanding for upcoming exams.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their interactions with their physical environment.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions.

Competitive exclusion

The principle stating that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant.

Niche differentiation

The process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.

Food chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Food web

A complex network of feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem.

Endangered species

A species at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Threatened species

A species that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

Endemic species

A species that is native to and found only within a specific geographic area.

Habitat loss

The destruction or degradation of a natural habitat, making it unable to support the species that live there.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread rapidly and disrupt local ecosystems.

Overexploitation

The unsustainable use of natural resources leading to the decline of certain species.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances into the environment, negatively impacting ecosystems.

Biomass

The total mass of all living matter within a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Primary productivity

The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of energy produced by primary producers in an ecosystem.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The energy that remains after primary producers have met their own metabolic needs; it's available for consumption by primary consumers.

Trophic level

A position in the food chain or food web, determined by how many energy-transfer steps exist between it and the primary energy source.