Unit 1: Land Ecology (Vocab)

Environment

The surroundings of an organism or community, encompassing both living and non-living elements and their interactions

Environmental science

A multifaceted discipline that examines the interactions between the natural world and human activities, with the goal of understanding and addressing environmental issues

Ecosystem

A complex system where living organisms (biotic factors) interact with their non-living environment (abiotic factors)

Abiotic

The non-living components of an ecosystem that influence living organisms and the environment

Biotic

Living or nice living components of a community

Environmental studies

Examines the human-environment relationship from a broader perspective including social, economic, and political factors

Environmentalist

A person who is concerned with or advocates the protection of the environment

Tragedy of the commons

A situation where a shared resource is overused or depleted because individuals, acting in their own self-interest, fail to consider the long-term consequences for the entire community

Ecosystem services

The direct and indirect benefits that humans receive from ecosystems

Environmental indicators

Quantifiable measures (biological, chemical, physical, social, or economic) that provide insights into the health and condition of natural and socio-economic systems

Species

A fundamental unit of biological classification, representing a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth at all levels, from genes to ecosystems

Genetic diversity

The variation in genes within a species or population

Species diversity

The variety of different species within a given area, considering both the number of species (species richness) and relative abundance of each species (species evenness)

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of ecosystems in an given area or globally

Anthropogenic

Changes or influences on the environment caused or impacted by human activities

Sustainability

Maintains ecological balance and conserving natural resources to support the well-being of both current and future generations

Sustainable development

Emphasizes balancing environmental protection, social equity, and economic growth to meet present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own

Community ecology

Studies the interactions between populations of different species within a given area, focusing on how they interact and influence each other

Predation

The ecological process by which energy is transferred from living animal to living animal based on the behavior of a predator that captures and kills a prey before eating it

Resource partitioning

How different species in an ecosystem divide limited resources to minimize competition and maximize coexistence

Competitive exclusion principle

A state in which two species competing from the same resources cannot stably coexist if other ecological factors are constant

Interspecific competition

A form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem

Intraspecific compeition

A form of competition in which individuals of the same species compete for the same resources in a ecosystem

Symbiosis

A close, long-term interaction between two different species

Mutualism

An interaction between two or more species where each species benefits

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits from the interaction while the other is neither harmed nor helped

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism, the parasite, lives on or within another organism, the host, causing it harm while the parasite benefits

Keystone species

A species that plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure and health of an ecosystem, disproportionately impacting its environment relative to its population size

Ecosystem engineer

An organism that significantly modifies its environment, creating or altering habitats in ways that impact other species within the ecosystem

Range of tolerance

The range of environmental conditions (like temperature, salinity, oxygen levels, etc.) within which an organism can survive and reproduce successfully)

Ecological niche

Describes the role and position a species has in its environment

Realized niche

The actual space and resources an organism uses in its environment, taking into account interactions with other species and environmental factors

Fundamental niche

The complete range of environmental conditions and resources a species could potentially utilize under ideal circumstances, without the limiting effects of other species like competition or predation

Generalist

A species with a broad ecological niche, meaning it can thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions and utilize a variety of resources

Specialist

A species that has a narrow niche, requiring specific resources and environmental conditions to survive

Levels of organization

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Lithosphere

Biosphere

The thin life-supporting stratum of Earth’s surface, extending from a few kilometers into the atmosphere to the deep-sea vents of the ocean

Atmosphere

The gaseous envelope surrounding a celestial body, most notably Earth, that provides the air we breathe and plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate and weather

Hydrosphere

The total amount of water on a planet

Lithosphere

The rigid, outermost layer of the Earth’s rocks and minerals, which consists of the crust and upper mantle