Sustainable Ecosystems Unit Review Flashcards

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts from the Sustainable Ecosystems unit review, including population dynamics, species interactions, human impact, and biodiversity measurement techniques.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area at the same time.

Exponential growth

A pattern of population growth that occurs when resources are unlimited, resulting in the population size increasing at a faster and faster rate.

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an ecosystem can support sustainably over time.

Equilibrium

A state in which the population size remains relatively constant because the birth rate equals the death rate.

Limiting factor

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the size of a population, such as food availability or temperature.

Urban sprawl

The rapid and often unplanned expansion of cities and suburbs into the surrounding rural areas.

Intensification

A policy or practice of increasing the density of housing and commercial buildings within existing urban areas to reduce urban sprawl.

Ecological niche

The specific role or position that a species has in its ecosystem, including its habitat, its interactions with other species, and the resources it uses.

Competition

The interaction between organisms that vie for the same limited resources, such as food, water, or space.

Bottom-up population regulation

Regulation of a population that occurs when resource availability at lower trophic levels limits the growth of populations at higher levels.

Top-down population regulation

Regulation of a population where the size of the population at lower trophic levels is controlled by predators at higher trophic levels.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between two different species living in direct contact.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the interaction.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of a host organism.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Host

The organism that a parasite lives on or in, and which provides the parasite with nutrients or shelter.

Parasite

An organism that lives on or in a host organism and obtains nutrients at the host's expense.

Human niche

The unique way humans occupy ecosystems, which has been significantly expanded through brain development and technology.

Sustainable use

The practice of using resources at a rate that does not lead to long-term depletion, allowing for biodiversity to be maintained for future generations.

Ecological footprint

A measure of the impact of an individual or population on the environment, expressed as the amount of land and water required to produce the resources consumed and absorb the waste produced.

Ecosystem services

The benefits provided by natural ecosystems that support life and human well-being, such as climate regulation, pollination, and nutrient cycling.

Decomposition

The process by which decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning essential nutrients to the ecosystem.

Biodiversity

The variety of all living things in a particular ecosystem, including species richness and genetic diversity.

Species richness

A measure of biodiversity based on the total number of different species present in a specific area.

Biodiversity hotspot

A region that contains a high concentration of species and is under threat from human activities.

Quadrat sampling

A method of measuring biodiversity where scientists use square frames of a known size to count individuals of a species in a specific area.

Transect sampling

A technique used to measure biodiversity by counting organisms along a straight line or path through a habitat.

Canopy fogging

A method for studying biodiversity in the forest canopy that involves using a fine mist of insecticide to collect insects and other organisms.

Netting

A biodiversity study technique involving the use of fine mesh nets to capture and study organisms like birds, bats, or aquatic species.