Ecology and Evolution Flashcards

Flashcards about Ecology and Evolution

Carrying Capacity

The amount of organisms that can be supported by a habitat, depending on the availability of food and space.

K=carrying cap

The population size limit that an environment can sustain given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available.

Competition

Sharing a niche causes this for food and other resources.

Ecological Succession

Ecosystems changing and evolving over time as plants and animals modify the environment, attracting new species.

Nature preserves

Protect habitats and ecological diversity.

Recycle non-renewables

Decreasing landfill waste by reusing non-renewable resources like aluminum, glass, metals, and fossil fuels.

Use Renewable resources

Using resources that are constantly replenished in the environment, such as sunlight, wood, and food.

Composts

Decomposing organic matter naturally for use as fertilizer.

Limit pollution

Limiting pollution in the air (such as smog from cars) and water (such as dumping or runoff).

Regulation or Conservation

Limiting the amount of hunting to conserve wildlife populations.

Biological mediation

Using another organism to control the population of another, instead of using pesticides.

Non-native species

Introducing a new organism to a system without natural predators, which can exceed carrying capacity and deplete resources for native species.

CO2 emissions

Emissions that contribute to global warming, leading to changes in the biosphere.

CFC

A substance that breaks down the Ozone layer, increasing the amount of U.V. radiation.

Pesticides

Chemicals that kill all insects, including non-target species, and become more concentrated in consumers through biomagnification.

Chemical Pollution

Contamination of air, water, or food with substances that may cause mutations in DNA and reduce diversity.

The ecosystem becomes less stable.

What happens to an ecosystem when diversity is decreased?

Variation

Differences within a species.

Struggle for Survival

Competition for resources among individuals.

Environment

The surroundings in which an organism lives.

Migration

Movement of organisms from one place to another.

Competition

Interaction between organisms or species for limited resources.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce.

Selecting Agent

The factor that influences the survival and reproduction of organisms.

Evolve

Species do this over time as a result of interactions between population increase, genetic variation, limited resources, and environmental selection.

Survive and reproduce

Individuals with better adaptations will do this more often than others.

Variation in a population

Increases the likelihood that some individuals will survive changing environmental conditions.