Individuals capable of interbreeding freely with each other but not with members of another species.
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Speciation
The process of forming new species.
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Sympatric Speciation
Origin of a new species in populations that overlap geographically.
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Allopatric Speciation
Origin of a new species in populations that are separated geographically.
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Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms
Different reasons why individuals would no longer be able to reproduce.
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Spatial Isolation
A prezygotic isolating mechanism in which species select different places to live and reproduce.
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Behavioral Isolation
A prezygotic isolating mechanism in which species differ in mating behaviors such as visual cues or vocalization.
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Temporal Isolation
A prezygotic isolating mechanism in which species reproduce during different times so mating periods do not overlap.
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Mechanical Isolation
A prezygotic isolating mechanism in which the reproductive organs of species are incompatible due to size and shape.
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Gametic Isolation
A prezygotic isolating mechanism in which the sperm and egg are incompatible.
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Post-Zygotic
Isolating mechanisms in which zygote form but embryo does not survive or survive and are sterile.
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Extinction
Death of all members of a species.
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Mass Extinction
Episode during which large numbers of a species become extinct.
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Ecology
Study of the interactions among organisms and their physical environment.
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Population
All the members of one species inhibiting an area.
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Community
All the different species interacting in one area.
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Ecosystem
All the living and nonliving components in one habitat.
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Biome
One of the world’s major ecoystems.
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Biosphere
Part of Earth occupied by living organisms.
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Biotic
Pertaining to living organisms.
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Abiotic
Pertaining to non-living.
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Autotrophs
Organisms that have the ability to make their own food.
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Heterotrophs
Organisms that cannot make their own food and therefore must depend on an outside source for nutrients.
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Producers
Organisms that change energy into food.
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Consumers
Organisms that eat producers or other consumers.
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Decomposers
Organisms absorb nutrients from nonliving organic material such as corpses, fallen plant material, and the wastes of living organisms, and convert them into organic molecules.
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Symbiotic Relationships
Ecological interactions that involve two different species that live together in direct contact.
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Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is neither helped nor harmed.
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Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both participants benefit.
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Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which the symbiont benefits at the expense of the host.
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Food Chains
Pathway along which food is transmitted from trophic level to trophic level, beginning with producers
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Food Webs
Elaborate and interconnected food chains.
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Trophic Level
Any of the several levels of a food chain, whose species are based on their main nutritional source.
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Biomass
The weight of a living organism.
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Dry-Weight
The weight of an organism without water.
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10% Rule
A rule that states only about ten percent of usable energy stored in a trophic level is passed from one level to the next.
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Joules
Measure of energy.
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Grazing Food Webs
A type of food web that begin with producers.
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Detrital Food Webs
A type of food web that begin with detritus.
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Carnivore
A consumer that only eats other consumers
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Herbivore
A consumer that only eats producers.
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Omnivore
A consumer that eats producers and other consumers.
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Detritus
Dead organic material broken down by decomposers.
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Energy Pyramid
A model or pyramid that illustrates the loss of usable energy at each trophic level.
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Self-Sustaining Ecosytem
An ecosystem that has a constant source of energy, autotrophs, heterotrophs, consumers, producers, and decomposers.
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Energy Flow
The energy that flows through ecosystems and nutrients cycle.
Studied by 16 people
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Flashcard (46)