Hope y'all dont get a 50 like Aaron
Ecological Niche
Role that a species plays in an ecosystem
Fundamental Niche
The full potential range of conditions and resources a species could theoretically use if there were no direct competition from other species
Realized Niche
Part of a species fundamental niche that it actually uses, limited by competition.
Generalist Species
Have broad niches; they can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions
Specialist Species
Have narrow niches; they may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one or a few types of food
Native Species
Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem
Nonnative Species/Exotic Species/Alien Species
Species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans
Indicator Species
Species that serve as early warnings that a community or an ecosystem is being damaged
Keystone Species
Species whose roles in an ecosystem are much more important than their abundance or biomass
Interspecific Competition
Occurs when two or more species compete for food, space, or any other limited resource
Predation
Members of one species feed directly on all or part of a living organism of another species
Symbiosis
A long-lasting relationship in which species live together in an intimate association
Parasitism
Occurs when one species feed on part of another organism by living on or in the host for a significant portion of the host's life
Mutualism
Two species involved in a symbiotic relationship in ways that benefit both
Commensalism
A symbiotic interaction that benefits one species but neither harms not helps the other species much, if at all
Interference Competition
One species may limit another's access to some resource, regardless of its abundance. This often takes the form of behavior in which member of a species establish a territory they defend against other invading species
Exploitation Competition
Competing species have roughly equal access to a specific resource but differ in how fast or efficiently they exploit it. The species that can use the resource more quickly gets more of the resource and hampers the growth, reproduction, or survival of the other species
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Two species that require the same resource cannot coexist indefinitely in an ecosystem in which there is not enough of that resource to meet the needs of both species
Resource Partitioning
The dividing up of scarce resources so that species with similar requirements use them at different times, in different ways, or in different places
Warning Coloration
Brightly colored advertising that enables experienced predators to recognize and avoid them
Mimicry
Gaining protection by looking and acting like a different species
Edge effect
different environmental conditions that occur along the boundaries of an ecosystem
Habitat Islands
Areas of natural habitat surrounded by developed and fragmented land (i.e. national park).
Habitat Fragmentation
by roads, logging, agriculture, and urban development- occurs when a large, continuous area of habitat is reduced in area and divided into smaller, more scattered, and isolated patches. (creates habitat islands)
Intraspecific competition
in a community competition for resources among members of the same species
Parasitoids
Parasites that routinely kill their hosts as part of their life cycle
Endoparasites
Parasites that live inside their hosts
Ectoparasites
Parasites that live outside their hosts
Ecological succession
The gradual and fairly predictable change in species composition of a given area
Primary succession
The gradual establishment of biotic communities in an area that has not been occupied by life before
Secondary succession
The reestablishment of a biotic community in an area where a biotic community was previously present
Pioneer species
First hardy species, often microbes, mosses, and lichens, that begin colonizing a site as the first stage of ecological succession
Early successional plant species
Grow close to the ground, can establish large populations quickly under harsh conditions, and have short lives
Midsuccessional plant species
Grasses and low shrubs that are less hardy than early successional plant species. Need full sun.
Late successional plant species
Mostly trees that can tolerate shade and that form a fairly stable complex forest community
Facilitation
When primary succession plants make it more suitable for other plants found at a later stage of succession
Inhibition
When early species hinder the establishment and growth of other species
Tolerance
When late successional plants are largely unaffected by plants at earlier stages of succession
Disturbance
Discrete event in time that disrupts an ecosystem or community (natural-hurricanes, tornadoes; human caused-deforestation, overgrazing and plowing)
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Communities that experience fairly frequent, moderate disturbances have the greatest diversity of species
Inertia, or persistence
Ability of a living system to resist being disturbed or altered
Constancy
Ability of a living system such as a population to maintain a certain size or keep its numbers within the limits imposed by available resources
Resilience
Ability of a living system to bounce back after an external disturbance that is not too drastic
Species equilibrium model, or theory of island biogeography
the number of species found on an island is determined by a balance between two factors: the immigration rate and the extinction rate; proposed by MacArthur and Wilson
chemical warfare
prey species discourage predators with chemicals that are poisonous, irritating, foul smelling, bad tasting
precautionary principle
When there is scientific uncertainty about potentially serious harm from chemicals or technologies, decision makers should act to prevent harm to humans and the environment.
Old growth forest
Uncut forests and regenerated forests that have not been seriously disturbed for several hundred (+) years.
Second growth forest
stands of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession after cutting. Includes most forests in the US.
shifted cultivators
practice unsustainable farming that depletes soils and destroys large tracts of forests.
even-aged management
trees in a given stand are maintained at about the same age and size
industrial forestry
to grow and harvest trees using mono culture techniques achieved by replacing a biologically diverse natural forest with a simplified tree farm of one or two fast-growing and economically desirable species that can be harvested every 10-100 years
uneven-aged management
a variety of tree species in a given stand are maintained at many ages and sizes to foster natural regeneration.
selective cutting
when loggers cut intermediate or mature trees in an uneven-aged forest cut in small groups making gaps no larger than the size of the hieight of standing trees
shelter-wood cutting
removes all mature trees in two or typically three cuttings over a period of about ten years
seed-tree cutting
harvests nearly all of a stand's trees in one cutting, leaving a few uniformly distributed seed-producing trees to regenerate the stand
clear-cutting
removal of all trees from an area in a single cutting
strip cutting
a variation of clear cutting that can allow a sustainable timber yield without widespread destruction
surface fires
usually burn only undergrowth and leaf litter on the forest floor
crown fires
extremely hot fires that start on the ground but eventually burn whole trees and leap from treetop to treetop
ground fires
surface fires that go underground and burn partially decayed leaves or peat; most common in northern peat bogs
prescribed burning
setting controlled ground fires to prevent build up of flammable material
presuppression
early detection and control of fires
suppression
fighting fires once they have started
debt-for-nature swap
participating countries act as custodians for protected forest reserves in return for foreign aid or debt relief
conservation easements
a private organization, country, or group of countries compensates other countries for protecting selected forest areas
Tree plantation or tree farm
Site planted with one or only a few tree species in an even-aged stand. When the stand matures it is usually harvested by clear-cutting and then replanted. These farms normally are used to grow rapidly growing tree species for fuelwood, timber, or pulpwood.
conservation concession
Nations get money in exchange for not using/selling the resources associated with biodiversity hotspots like tropical rain forests. Usually done by conservation organzations through leasing of the land to be protected.
natural regulation
A park management policy that involves letting nature take its course most of the time, with corrective actions undertaken as needed to adjust for changes caused by pervasive human activities
principle sustainable yield
states that potentially renewable resources should not be harvested or used faster than they are replenished.
principle multiple use
states that the same land should be managed simultaneously for a variety of uses.
range land
land that supples forage or vegetation for grazing and browsing animals and it is not intensively managed.
overgrazing
occurs when too many animals graze for too long and exceed the carrying capacity of a grassland area.
riparian zones
thin strips of long vegetation along streams.
continuous grazing
occurs throughout the year or appropriate season.
deferred-rotation grazing
involves moving livestock between two or more range areas to allow perennial grasses to recover from the effects of grazing.
biosphere reserve zones
core area, buffer zone and transition zone.
core area
contains an important ecosystem that has had little or no disturbance from human activities.
buffer zone
activities and uses are managed in ways that help protect the core.
transition zone
a second buffer which combines conservation and sustainable forestry, grazing, agriculture, and recreation.
wilderness
areas where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.
gap analysis
a method developed to determine how adequate native plant and animal species and natural communities are protected by the existing network of conservation lands.
restoration
Trying to return a particular degraded habitat or ecosystem to a condition as similar as possible to its predegraded state
rehabilitation
involves any attempt to restore at least some of a degraded system's natural species and ecosystem functions. (i.e. removing pollutants, replanting)
replacement
facilitating the change of a degraded ecosystem into another type of ecosystem. (i.e. a degraded forest into a productive pasture or tree planation.)
creating artificial ecosystems
example: creation of artificial wetlands to help reduce flooding and to treat sewage
Weather
Short-term properties of the troposphere at a given place and time.
Climate
The average long-term weather of an area including seasonal variations and weather extremes.
Warm Front
boundary between an advancing warm air mass and the cooler one it is replacing.
Cold front
leading edge of an advancing mass of cold air. (Stays close to the ground, because it is less dense than warm air).
Upwelling
brings plant nutrients from the deeper parts of the ocean to the surface and support large populations of phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, and fish-eating seabirds.
El Nino-Southern Oscillation
Westerward winds weaken or cease and surface water along the South and North American coasts become warmer. Normal upwellings of cold, nutrient rich water is suppressed. (NOTE: these winds are also called prevailing EASTERLY winds--winds are named from whence they came, not were they are headed. Your textbook has an error. It calls them the prevailing westerly winds...that is wrong.)
Microclimates
Local climatic conditions, that differ from the general climate of a region.
Rain shadow effect
The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them (on the leeward side).
Latitude
Distance from the equator
Altitude
Elevation above sea level
Succulent plants
Such as the saguaro cactus, survive in dry climates by having a vertical orientation, no leaves, and the ability to store water and synthesize food in their expandable, fleshy tissue.
Broad leaf evergreen plants
plants which keep large surface area which allows them to collect ample sunlight and radiate heat during the hot summer.
Broad leaf deciduous plants
plants such as oak and maple trees they survive droughts and cold by shedding their leaves and becoming dormant during such periods.
coniferous evergreen plants
trees such as spruces, pines and firs these plants keep some of their narrow pointed leaves (needles) all year.
Desert
area where evaporation exceeds precipitation.