Ecology 1 Flashcards: biotic and abiotic factors, ecological relationships (2.1, 2.2)

ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

biotic

Living things in an ecosystem (plants, animals, bacteria, fungi)

abiotic

non-living things in an ecosystem (water, air, sunlight, temperature, pollution, pH, etc)

population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

biological community

populations of different species that live in the same location at the same time

ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and the non-living factors in their environment that affect them

habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

competition

when two or more organisms need the same resources (food, shelter, etc)

predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

mutualism

symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship

commensalism

symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other species is not harmed or helped

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives on or in a host and harms it.

immigration

the movement of individuals into a population from another area, increasing its size and genetic diversity.

emigration

the movement of individuals out of a population to another area, decreasing its size and genetic diversity.

birth rate

the number of births in a population over a specific period, usually expressed as a rate per 1,000 individuals.

death rate

the number of deaths in a population over a specific period, usually expressed as a rate per 1,000 individuals.

population growth

populations increase when (births + immigration) > (deaths+emmigration)