ESS_Topics_2___3_Complete_Summary_Notes_-_Google_Docs

Ecosystem

A community of interdependent organisms (biotic) and their interactions with the physical environment (abiotic) they inhabit.

Species

A group of organisms sharing common characteristics that can interbreed and produce offspring.

Habitat

The environment in which a species lives, where an organism can find food, shelter, protection, and mates.

Niche

The set of biotic and abiotic conditions and resources that an organism or population responds to; defines how an organism interacts with others.

Fundamental Niche

The full range of conditions and resources an organism can survive and reproduce in.

Realised Niche

The actual conditions a species exists in due to biotic interactions.

Abiotic Factors

The nonliving, physical factors that influence organisms and ecosystems, such as temperature, sunlight, and soil.

Predation

An interaction where one organism hunts and eats another; controlled by negative feedback mechanisms.

Herbivory

When an animal feeds on a plant; the plant is known as the food source affecting carrying capacity.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another (the host).

Mutualism

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

Competition

The demand by individuals for limited environmental resources, can be intra-specific (within species) or inter-specific (between different species).

Population Growth

The increase in number of individuals in a population, often influenced by abundance of resources.

Population Curve

Graphical representation of population growth over time, demonstrating phases of growth.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors affecting population growth that change with population density, like resource availability.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors affecting a population regardless of density, primarily abiotic factors.

Community

All the populations living and interacting in a common habitat at a specific time.

Photosynthesis

A process used by producers to convert light energy from the Sun into chemical energy stored in organic matter.

Respiration

The conversion of organic matter to carbon dioxide and water in living organisms, releasing energy for life processes.

Production Ratio

The ratio comparing production and respiration in a community, indicating biomass accumulation.

Biomass

A measurement of dry mass (mass - water content), indicating the total energy within a living organism.

Biogeochemical Cycles

The cycles that nutrients take through biotic and abiotic parts of the environment, such as the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on earth, including species, habitat, and genetic diversity.

Conservation

Efforts aimed at protecting habitats, ecosystems, and species from human disturbances.

Natural Selection

A driving force of evolution where individuals that have advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

R-strategists

Species that reproduce quickly, produce many offspring, and inhabit unpredictable environments.

K-strategists

Species that grow slowly, produce fewer offspring, and inhabit stable environments.

Succession

The process of change in ecosystems where different communities of organisms replace one another over time.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize previously uncolonized land, crucial for soil formation during succession.

Climax Community

A stable, mature community that is in equilibrium with environmental conditions, usually at the final stage of succession.

Bioaccumulation

The build-up of persistent pollutants in an organism due to inability to break them down.

Biomagnification

The increase in concentration of persistent pollutants in organisms at each trophic level.

Primary Productivity

The gain by producers in energy or biomass, which can be affected by environmental conditions.