AP Biology - Ecology Unit

Commensalism

in which one organism lives off another with no harm to the host organism (for example, the remora)

Exponential growth

occurs very quickly, resulting in a J- shaped curve.

food chain

In a(n) , only about 10 percent of energy is transferred from one level to the next- this is the 10 % rule.

Biosphere

: The entire part of the Earth where living things exist.

Parasitism

• in which the organism actually harms its host.

Mutualism

• in which both organisms win (for example, the lichen components)

Net productivity

measures organic materials that are left over after photosynthetic organisms have taken care of their own cellular energy needs.

Carrying capacity

the number of a species that a habitat can support.

Altruistic behavior

is defined as unselfish behavior that benefits another organism in the group at the individuals expense because it advances the genes of the group.

Population growth

can be represented as the number of births minus the number of deaths divided by the size of the population.

Exponential growth

occurs when a population is in an ideal environment.

Biosphere

The entire part of the Earth where living things exist

Ecosystem

The interaction of living and nonliving things

Batesian mimicry

harmless or palatable species (the mimic) evolves to resemble a dangerous species (the model) to gain protection from predators

Müllerian Mimicry

an evolutionary phenomenon where two or more harmful species evolve to resemble each other

Primary Succession

the gradual process of ecological change in a previously uninhabited environment where no soil or living organisms exist.

Secondary Succession

the process of an ecosystem's recovery and regrowth after a disturbance has removed most of the existing vegetation but left the soil intact