Environmental Biology - Unit 08

Vocabulary flashcards defining key concepts in environmental biology and the levels of ecological organization based on the provided lesson notes.

Environment

A complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival.

Environmental Biology

The scientific study of the origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and natural history of populations, communities, species, and ecosystems in relation to dynamic environmental processes.

Environmental Biology (Alternative Definition)

The study of the interactions of the biotic components of the environment with each other and with the abiotic components.

Individual / Organism

Any living thing that possesses unique physiological, evolutionary, and behavioral characteristics relative to environmental factors.

Population

A group of individuals belonging to the same species that live in the same area and produce fertile offspring through interbreeding.

Community

A collection of populations of different species living and interacting with each other in the same area.

Ecosystem

The combination of communities and the abiotic factors with which they interact.

Biosphere

The entire portion of the Earth inhabited by living organisms.