Ecosystems, Populations, and Ecological Pyramids

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms on population dynamics, species interactions, abiotic/biotic factors, and ecological pyramids.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population of a species the available resources in an ecosystem can support.

Biotic factor

A living factor in an ecosystem.

Competition

An active struggle between organisms for a resource in limited supply.

Contest competition

A physical battle between two organisms with only one winner.

Scramble competition

A type of competition where the resource is shared between all competing individuals.

Predation

The killing and eating of another organism.

Prey

The organism that's killed and eaten by the predator.

Adaptions

Traits that help organisms to survive in their environment.

Symbiosis

A close relationship where two different species interact and at least one benefits.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Communalism

A close relationship where neither species are harmed.

Paracitism

A close relationship where one species benefits.

Predator prey curve

A graph that shows how the population decreases and increases over time.

Interdependence

When living things rely and interact with each other in order to survive.

Abiotic factors

Nonliving factors in an ecosystem.

Climatic factors

Environmental factors including air temperature and soil temperature.

Eidaphic factors

Factors relating to soil.

Niche

The functional role of an organism in the ecosystem.

Food chain

The sequence of organisms showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem.

Atrophic level

A feeding stage of a food chain.

Food web

Consists of two or more interlinking food chains.

Pyramid of numbers

Represents the population of a species at each trophic level in a food chain.

Inverted pyramid

A pyramid diagram showing how the population or biomass increases across trophic levels.

Spindle pyramid

A pyramid representation that has no pattern in population through the trophic levels.

Pyramid of biomass

Represents the total mass of all the organisms in an area across trophic levels.

J population curve

A population curve associated with an environment that has unlimited resources.

S population curve

A population curve that occurs when resources become scarce.